Political
Diary
New Delhi, 2 February
2021
Capital Anarchy
DENT IN ‘JAI KISAN’?
By Poonam I Kaushish
Nothing ever good
comes out of violence. This lexicon comes to mind as the Capital witnessed
unprecedented anarchy leaving it shell shocked, that too as it celebrated its
71st Republic Day last week. At one end was India showcasing its pomp
and grandeur on Rajpath, at the other untold mayhem as the farmers tractor
rally deviated from its designated route agreed upon with the police, violently
broke through police barricades clashing with security personnel, vandalized
buses and police vehicles, destroyed public property, stormed the Red Fort and
audaciously unfurled Sikhs religious flag Nishan Sahib. In one fell stroke the kisan had transformed into a hooligan
leaving a nation shaken and shamed.
True, the 40 Unions
have distanced themselves from the violence and alleged miscreants who created
chaos, but there is no denying that the events have tarnished, damaged and
dented their novella peaceful movement
as the nation’s undataas so
assiduously built up over the last two months on Delhi’s borders. Today, public
sympathy seems to be weaning away.
The aam aadmi’s common refrain: Their
objections on the three contentious farm laws might be legitimate yet nothing
can justify taking law into their own hands and brandishing swords and lathis at Red Fort which is viewed as a
symbol of Indian sovereignty.
Perhaps, farmers
puffed up with the nascent response to their protest and having put the
Government under tremendous pressure to concede most of its demands, miscalculated
their ability to control or moderate their motley crowd comprising 40-odd
farmers unions with different backgrounds and ideology. Forgetting that large
mobilization of people carries an inherent potential of disorder and rogue
behavior. That these elements were allowed to run amok is condemnable.
By taking a
maximalist position against the Bills and turned their back on a negotiated
settlement, maybe frustration was building up among kisan ranks resulting in the bedlam. Already three Unions have
disassociated themselves and returned to their villages. Barring, Singhu
border, protests at Tikri and Chilla are petering out. However, the UP
Government’s mishandling of Rakesh Tikait’s Bharatiya Kisan Union at Ghaziabad
seems to have reignited his movement.
The police also must
introspect as to where it went wrong. Why did it allow the rally in the first
place? Did it underestimate the scale of the farmers procession? Specially as
it had intelligence inputs that miscreants had penetrated the rank and file of
farmers and could turn violent? Why did it not make sure adequate safeguards
were in place, be operationally prepared and warn the political establishment?
Or did it willy nilly agree to play along with its political masters to humour
the farmers?
Undeniably, the Government which first ignored the
farmers protest, then played hardball by discounting their demands as ignorant
and even dubbed them anti-nationals and Khalistanis, then showed patience and
willingness to accommodate a number of requirements by offering to amend the
laws. And showed them experts opinion that reforms would double their incomes
by 2022.
Notwithstanding its offer to freeze the laws
for 18 months and work towards a mutually acceptable negotiated settlement, sadly,
the script continues to be
stuck between the Sarkar’s offer and
the farmers demand for repeal of the contentious laws. Both operating across a wide
chasm of belief and trust.
The
protesting farmers are apprehensive that they will no
longer get paid the Minimum Support Price, Government will scrap mandis, commission agents will not get their commission thereby
leaving them at the mercy of big corporates and
States tax. Said a kisan leader, “Our public stand is a full repeal, but we can negotiate
provided the Government is ready to provide remunerative MSP as a legal
entitlement to all farmers for all produce.”
With manic Republic Day changing contours of the
challenge and farmers being on the back-foot and apologetic, the Government
instead of accusing them should now show magnanimity and play soft. It needs to
reach out to kisans and win back
their trust. Simultaneously it should use the ongoing Budget session of
Parliament to break bread with the Opposition, discuss threadbare the
contentious laws and move ahead. Agriculture reforms encompass the country and
not the exclusive domain of the BJP or X,Y,Z Party.
Various Parties
directionless leaders like Messers Rahul Gandhi, Pawar, Mamata, Akhilesh etc who
have tried unsuccessfully to piggyback on farmers shoulders too should realize
the kisans have shunned them
unilaterally as they do not want to be used as sitting ducks or props for
leaders to carry of their own agendas, whip the Government with to settle
scores with the Modi Sarkar.
Undoubtedly, protest
is a fundamental right to bring to the Government’s notice what is not
acceptable or odious but sweeping and uncompromising politics of heads-I-
win-tails-you-lose on laws is unjustifiable as one cannot appropriate
law-making powers of the legislature as it would be setting a wrong precedent for
the future which as last week shows, can turn volatile. The farmers too should
be more flexible even as the powers-that-be whittle down their anathema to
discordant notes against its Government and cannot dismiss every agitation
“anti-national” and denounce it.
The leaders must now
work quickly and throw out the unruly elements and fundamentalists from their
ranks. But before that they must recognize the damage to their cause by
accepting all under one umbrella failing to realize a broad coalition can result
in collateral damage. Time to rethink strategies.
It is not too late
for a course correction. Both the Government and farmers should not make it an
ego battle and find a middle path to create greater goodwill on all sides. The
farmers might have genuine grouses. But this is not the way to go about getting
the Government to see reason. By
remaining stubbornly inflexible they are creating a perception of being more
interested in grandstanding wanting to humble the Government than seeking an equitable
solution to their woes.
Clearly, this maximalist position of repeal of the three laws by
the farmers tantamount to blackmail. Obviously no Government will tolerate
blackmail and ‘it’s my way or the highway’ muscle flexing as it would open the
flood gates for more bodies and lobbies holding the Administration to ransom, challenging
its authority.
Of course, the farm laws might not be perfect
or 100% fool-proof, but perhaps with more amendments, they could have the
potential to provide a much-needed framework of change for the agricultural
sector while simultaneously protecting the farmers' interests. Clearly, the
time has come for kisans to climb
down from their stubborn intransigence and restart negotiations with the
Government in the larger interest of farmers and the country. Sagacity must
prevail
The Government must
be thoughtful and measured in its response. It needs to tone done the shrill. Remember,
no movement can succeed it turns into a confrontation with the Indian State. The
onus lies on both sides to resolve it earliest. Let not truth become a casualty
where you end up with only babble and
bedlam.
----- INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)
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