Why You Need to Care About the Ongoing Protest in India
By: Yasvi Yadav
Tags: Farmers, Modi Government, India, Protest, Farm Bill

The farmers came out protesting in the chilling weather of Delhi, leaving the comforts of their home, cooking on the streets converting their trolleys into mini kitchen, bathing at the nearby petrol stations, and sleeping on the unfamiliar roads of the nation’s capital during the time of pandemic and severe air pollution of Delhi, feeling nothing but betrayed because of the inhumane response from the Government; while some call it the work of the opposition who apparently misled the sons of the soil, while others blame the Khalistani agenda to be behind these protests and many other critical comments by people looking for their two minutes of fame by insensitively associating themselves with the cause and passing half-witted comments.

While having a conversation with an Agronomist, who wishes to remain unnamed, following are the two statements they said within a duration of one week;

“These farmers can’t see right from wrong, they have too much free time and resources to sit and create such drama, the Center would and should never entertain such nonsense.”

“They will be shown their position, it is the capital of the country they cannot just barge in and protest without expecting violent repercussions, the Police will show them their place.”

Having such a bitter conversation with someone who is themselves related to the soil, has left me despondent; these protesting farmers are seen as nothing but “nuisance” and are called anti-nationalist while a few have their sons serving in the Indian Army, in-fact just last week a farmer’s 22 year old son was martyred in Jammu and Kashmir unrest. Other than that, the farmers have risked not just their harvesting season, but also their health by coming out in such a large number and gathering to protest for a cause they believe is too big to let go amidst the ongoing pandemic, many of the protesters are infact in their 60s and 70s. Though there has been some support from the opposition leaders and public, yet no one came upfront to lead and sit down in protest with the alleged mislead farmers other than some donators and a few hours of physical appearance by some celebrities.

The government’s claim of liberating the farmers of the corruption practiced by the APMC via these three bills is not the end of the story; it is always the sub-clause and sections of a bill that cause problem, and in this case it is the Laissez-faire leading to privatization and with no MSP to back them, the farmers even fear the price modification that the big private sharks can do with the now legalized hoarding of food supplies. Now, if you say that the farmers are naive then as their leader and representative of democracy it should be your chief responsibility to make them understand the cause and effect behind passing such “revolutionary” bills rather than mocking the unenlightened farmers who just know how to sow and sell. Not just a year ago, the PM addressed the public to stay united and fight the Corona virus with perseverance, now how can they turn a blind eye to the predicament of more than 3 lakh people of their country demeaning them to a mere vote bank, especially at the time when their faith in the institution is being tested. The farmers are not surly but determined about the rebellion they have started at their personal expense, they have been humiliated and disregarded in their own field of expertise.

During the lunch break in one of their meetings, the farmers refused to eat lunch or accept neither tea nor coffee being apparently provided by the government, being fully aware that from whose fields the yield is from; with such adamant conduct the farmers gave a loud and clear message that this time they are dead serious about what the government has done to them and they will not leave things on their fate to turn out well but instead become their own master, after all we still live in a free country and are talking about modern farmers who are smart and well equipped.

Deprive a peasant of his harvest with a flash of the sword once and it is called robbery. Do it at random intervals and it’s described as banditry. Do it systematically, year after year, backed by swordsmen in uniforms, and it is called governance.(In Search of Heer, Manjul Bajaj)

I hope I won’t be seeing us on streets, protesting like these farmers when in future there comes a hike in food prices as a consequence of the present enigma. (Remember, what happened with onions last year.)

My request to the “bhakts” and the “too good to care” people is that do not try to become a prejudiced mediator, think before you pass judgments and think before you eat that hearty meal, as there are real people sitting and protesting who are well aware of the hazardous consequences, they don’t need either your sympathy or harsh comments, the last thing anyone would want is indifference from their fellow countrymen; they are not some notorious child causing mischief and I am sure our leaders will not treat them like one.

A little credence on both sides can accelerate the process of conflict resolution, after all it is not EIC but the Modi government of 2020, right?