Day 326

Toll 639

Sidq – Faith

It has been 72 hours since the Kundli border incident and I am relieved that riots did not break out. From those reading my post, I expect better understanding about me and my motivation, but to ally anyone in doubt: I condemn the brutal barbaric murder and dastardly parade of the alleged sacrilege perpetuator, victim of mob lynching by Nihangs.

The stories of the victim and perpetuators emerging over the last three days clearly point towards a conspiracy to enact this heinous crime. Given the recent mowing of Sikh farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, the recent success of farmers protest in reaching across the country and drawing participation in Samyukt Kisan Morcha programs, the increased BSF presence in Panjab, this crime was meant to distract from the objectives of the protest and demand to sack the MoS Home and, if possible, fail the protests.

The conspirators know a few things about the Sikhs:

1. They are the pivot of the protests. The more the Sikhs are hammered, the greater the chances of breaking the protests.

2. They are an excitable people and, discussions aside, symbolism plays a role in their religion. Testimony to this is the justification of the murder by individuals on social media. (Including comments on my post that day which I have since deleted leaving most conversations one-sided).

3. They are deeply hurt from many instances of denial of justice, including on issues of sacrilege in recent years. Those too started when farmers protest were at their peak in Panjab, October 2015. Do you see the pattern?

4. They suffer from caste issues – it is a fault line. There is no denying that but because caste in Sikh religion is unlike caste in Hindu religion, the attempt to see this act as a caste crime failed.

5. The Nihangs, by no stretch a monolith, also cultivate an image of being a bit out of the periphery of the law. Yet, as of now three Nihangs have surrendered to police. More may be arrested soon.

The ploy failed. In spite of all the furore on social media, on ground, the farmers on protest have weathered yet another storm. Once again the ones who conspired have been snubbed by the people.

However, this episode tells us something about us on social media who are eager to comment: relax!

The world is not waiting for our grandstanding. The people in the protest are wiser than us. They are prepared to deal with the attacks to discredit the protests. They have done so once again. For someone like me who comes from the trauma of my adolescence, I feel more and more assured about the sidq – faith the protesters have in the protests.

In this episode, we must applaud those many Panjab Dalit voices that refused to fall for the Sangh ploy to make the diabolical act look like a caste crime.

However, two points in retrospect:

1. It is facile to completely de-link the protests from religion. Sikh thought, Sikh orientation, is one of the pillars of the protest. Yes, the religion’s core message is Sarbat da Bhala – Welfare of Humanity and its cultural extreme is the kind of ‘sodha’ – punishment that the Nihangs meted out. There is a need to draw a line but one can’t throw out the baby with the bath water especially when the values and positive cultural attributes of the religion have sustained the protests.

2. There is a pattern with SKM to disown whatever it deems may jeopardize its activities. It could come from being unsure about how an irresponsible media would portray them. But the Nihangs have been part of the protests from earlier on. The Nihangs have shared stage, they have shared langar even with police, they have been projected as a line of defence in case an armed attack happens. Yesterday, a few SKM leaders were admitting to this. That dialogue must happen.

A second clarification because these days Facebook is more misread than read: when the Nihangs had arrived, I had called some Nihang groups and asked them what was the point of giving fodder to a vulturesque lapdog media who would want to portray the protest as an armed struggle against the state? There were no good answers. I do not know the Nirvair Khalsa Udana Dal Nihangs.

Today is a call by SKM for Rail Roko. Many places the farmers are stopping trains to demand the arrest of MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni who had issued a provocative statement that formed the backdrop of the Lakhimpur Kheri killings. Let us enable the Rail Roko.

Day 324

Toll 638

Dussehra

Yesterday it rained like crazy in Bangalore. That poured water on my plans to heed Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s call to burn effigies where Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghanada cast as the PM, HM, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh CMs, Ambani, Adani and others.

Now I have mixed feelings about Ravan. I do not see him completely evil. I actually like Kumbhakarna. I do not know Meghanada much. So, I was wondering about being able to burn the effigies in their names but nature – or global warming – solved the matter.

Instead Randeep Maddoke and Deepu came home with Deepu’s daughter Razeena. We had an intense evening. Randeep you all know from his excellent work as a photographer and film-maker of the farmers protests, mostly Tikri border. Deepu has long experience as a cinematographer and political activist. He was at the protest site for long, with Randeep. A few years back, I had met Deepu, though he does not remember because he was overwhelmed, when he screened his quickly shot and edited, excellent documentary on Gauri Lankesh very soon after she was killed.

Both Randeep and Deepu were sharing their experiences. Deepu said something very pertinent: ‘When will the farmers protest turn into a social movement all over India? Until that happens, we cannot really fight the right wing forces. Of course, the protests need support. But even more than that, they need to translate into multiple, regional movements and join hands together. When will the country rise?’

Pictures of Dussehra effigy burnings last night are coming in. As I observed at Bharat Bandh, outrage over Lakhimpur murders, and now through these names of towns were effigies were burnt, the protests have reached second and third tier cities. But when it comes to bigger cities, the metros, they still have a distance to travel.

Notice the names: Etawah, Puri, Guna, Gunupur, Chennai, Bulandshahr, Allahabad, Kaushambi, Rewari, Patna, Sitamadhi, Supaul, Kaimur, Jhunjhunu, Gwalior, Muzaffarpur, Cuttack, Durgapur, Jashipur, Mayurbhanj, Shahjahanpur, Ambala and others.

Many many thanks for the response to my previous message. But do pause, think, do the protests need only support or is what Deepu saying correct? If Deepu is correct, perhaps we also need to move out of our need to only consume news – no doubt, very important – and do something more?

After all, we cannot just be a spectator nation. Wish you a good festival season. Do also consider how many of our festivals are linked to harvest, to food, to farmers.

It is my habit to give prior notice hence giving one here about my interactions on Facebook.

Whether it is through my books or my posts here, I seek to expand understanding and create friendships. However, I now see that won’t be possible on Facebook. The medium started as a dorm call, moved to picnic pictures, morphed to election campaigns, and has finally become a cess pool breeding hatred and polarising society.

It became crystal clear yesterday on my post to inform people about what happened at Singhu the previous night. I posted because no media at that point was reporting it. Apart from information, like I do with long posts, I touched upon context and appealed for peace and restraint which is most important when such provocation takes place.

However, the post became a forum for many to project their self-righteous pontifications. Even those who know me for years displayed utter ignorance about me and chose to respond only to that post without even looking at the timestamp. All they did is issue certificates, pass judgements.
Frankly, when such a gruesome event has happened and people are not shocked but eager to make their points and shout, I wonder about how we ourselves have normalised violence. I am stunned.
Yes, over the last year, I have mostly used this medium to articulate the farmers protest. I am doing that for three reasons:

1. I felt the work was an extension of my book PANJAB through which I had learnt something about the land and people which mainland India does not make an effort to learn.

2. It remains an attempt to fill in a gap which mainstream media has created by not covering the protests.

3. It is a way for me to remain connected with the largest stance against neo-colonisation which will crush all of us.

However, the past year has been exhausting and my engagement here keeps me from work I must do – make books.

Hence, I will continue to articulate the farmers protest as long as they last. But once they are over, I will retreat from this medium at least in terms of making regular posts. As I said, I came here to engage not indulge in hate. This medium has failed my ask from it.

Day 323

Toll 638

Sacrilege

A very unfortunate incident transpired at Singhu border last night. At around 3 am, a man, seems Panjabi, name not yet known, wearing traditional Sikh kachera – drawers appeared at the makeshift mobile Gurdwara at Singhu border. He sought to pick up the Guru Granth Sahib and insult it.

The Nihangs, in whose camp the Granth Sahib is located, apprehended him in the act. The man confessed to being sent to the protest site by his backers to commit the sacrilege. He is in the Nihang custody, the police has reached the spot.

This is a heinous attempt to discredit the protests. The issue of sacrilege is deeply problematic and provocative for the Sikh community and for Panjab. Since incidents of sacrilege started in 2015, they have not yet found any resolution. They have claimed one government and two chief ministers but not been solved. This has created a deep schism in the minds of people regarding both: how democracy works and if democratic system deliver justice.

There is palpable frustration, cynicism and hopelessness in the system. When that happens, dejected by modern systems, people lapse back into earlier ways of being which they imagine worked for them better. Among Sikhs, it is that anyone who is wrong must be punished – sodha. Barbarically, the Nihangs cut off the wrist of the man. It is brutal.

We must keep in mind the protests against Farm laws and to legalise MSP have remained a perception battle. While the protesters have displayed immense resolve, resourcefulness, and repose in their leadership. The mainstream media has constantly denigrated the protesters, flung labels on them and yet the protesters have responded with dignity.

All this will be tested now. A crime has been prevented. The criminal is in custody. We need to trace the man’s backers.

Let us maintain calm, not let this incident take a communal turn, and stay focussed on the core goals of the protest.

Update: I am hearing the man is dead. The brutality meted out to him has cost us the opportunity to identify his backers.

Day 321

Toll 637

Light

Yesterday’s Antim Ardas, final prayers, at Lakhimpur Kheri were dignified and solemn. Over 50,000 people from far and wide, from all religions and castes attended. A few politicians also came, payed respect, but as decided did not share the stage. The proceedings were absolutely peaceful.

This peace, this non-violence the farmers protests has exemplified on every major call in the last year – be it Rail Roko, Rasta Roko, Bharat Bandh, huge Mahapanchayats, even angry gatherings in response to police and administration atrocities at many places in Haryana, or now in Lakhimpur Kheri have left the ruling dispensation incapable of curbing the protests. As the protests near 11 months, I feel, the message of peaceful resistance has gone out to the nation.

That is why, like earlier, even yesterday, there were many candle light marches all over the country. It is interesting that when the PM asked folks to light lamps to drive away Coronavirus, the media covered it widely. This time, the mainstream media is silent. Both the ruling party and the mainstream media seem to be completely out of touch with the mood of the people.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has severely condemned the Delhi Police’s sexual assault on women students demanding MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni’s resignation in front of Home Minister’s house. SKM also condemns the FIRs registered against five Benares Hindu University students who were protesting against the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre.

The Delhi student protestors have stated that ‘these were not isolated acts committed by some rogue Delhi Police personnel. The manner in which the violence was meted out identically to both women, shows that the women personnel have received training and instructions to treat women protestors in this fashion ‘to show them their place’.

The candle light that shone in various parts of the country and in many individual homes tells me that soon it will be the government, the mainstream media and the police which will be shown its place in the country. May this light in our hearts remove the darkness in which we seem engulfed under the present dispensation.

See pictures here …

Day 320

Toll 637

Antim Ardas starts for Lakhimpur Kheri martyrs.

As fitting, Kabir is being sung: ‘soora so pehchaniye …’

‘The brave is recognised …’

A huge tent to accommodate thousands has come up overnight 500 meters from the site of killings. Farmers have wilfully cleared their fields to set up the tent and create parking space. Police has put up barricades, they are video graphing attendees, but nothing will stop the tsunami of people coming up to pay homage. Modi has no idea who he provoked with the Farm Laws.

Source: tractor2twitter

See clip here …

Day 319

Toll 635

Bandh

Today the Maharashtra government has called for a Bandh in support of the Lakhimpur Kheri farmers massacre. This Bandh tells us how the massacre has drawn battle lines for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections. Rashtriya Lok Dal, Samajvadi party, Congress, Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress are all rising against the BJP. Yet, personally, I do not trust political parties. May they score against BJP, but for them the agenda is different than for people’s movement.

For the arrest of Ashish Mishra Monu and accomplices, at least two names are known Ankit Das and Sumit Jaiswal, resignation and arrest of union MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha had given today’s deadline to Government of India and Government of Uttar Pradesh. The UP Government’s SIT arresting Ashish Mishra Teni on grounds of non-cooperation with investigation into the massacre, and for evasive replies is under 160CrPC (witnesses) not murder (302 CrPc).

Yesterday, a ‘Chetavani Rally’ in Barnala, Punjab, organised by BKU Ekta Siddhupur with participation of several SKM leaders, saw a massive turnout of farmers. Picture below.

The program for next few days:

- October 12th: Antim Ardas for slain farmers and journalist will be marked as Shaheed Kisan Diwas. Shradhanjali sabha, homage meetings will be held in many states. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and others have confirmed participation.

All India Shaheed Kisan Kalash Yatra with the remains of martyred farmers to start from Lakhimpur Kheri and travel all states and districts across the country.

- October 15th: Dussehra, Modi, Shah and third according to local situation effigies to be burnt all over the country.

- October 18th: Rail Roko all over the country.

- October 26th: Kisan Mahapanchayat in Lucknow.

On the other hand, paddy procurement has not commenced as expected despite the Union Government’s acceptance of SKM’s demand on October 2nd. This applies to Rajasthan also, where the FCI has agreed to procure from Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar. Bajra procurement should also commence in Rajasthan and Haryana immediately. Crop loss compensation for cotton farmers who have incurred losses due to pink bollworm damage be paid out immediately in Punjab and Haryana without any further delay.

The ground is growling in anger. We must ensure that if we lend support to political parties, it should be for the farmer and labour agenda rather than for their own myopic power gains.

Link to picture here …

Day 316

Toll 632

Lakhimpur Reflections

Much to the Sangh’s chagrin, two big public movements in the last decade produced two unintended figures. The India Against Corruption produced Arvind Kejriwal who has kept power in Delhi through last three elections, denying BJP power. The farmers protest produced Rakesh Tikait who kept the movement afloat after BJP’s assault on January 26th. Both of them are complex and unpredictable characters and do not inspire our natural trust. We all have positive or negative opinions on both of them. There is a role the media has played in projecting them. To me, both of them are unintended outcomes of the Sangh’s manoeuvres. I think we need to see the recent Lakhimpur murders – terrorist attack according to international definitions – keeping this in mind.

1. In the last 10+ months farmers’ protest, at each stage where they managed to negotiate with the state, mostly Haryana, each negotiation took a few days. Farmers needed to gherao police stations, deputy commissioner’s office, go on hunger strike until death and so on. So the question is: how did Lakhimpur reach a settlement so quickly?

Was it to checkmate Samyukt Kisan Morcha? I suspect, like earlier, SKM must not have expected early resolution. It did not allow SKM enough time to re-configure its demands, including of MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni’s arrest. The night was tense with four dead bodies, around 25,000 angry crowd. We can only guess what that kind of pressure would have meant.

2. Did Tikait alone negotiate the compensation and FIRs against Ashish Kumar Monu and friends? It is true Tikait was the most popular leader to reach Lakhimpur and SKM needs to answer why only Charuni was arrested on the way to Lakhimpur? Burj Gill stopped? Where were other leaders? Is meekly saying ‘we were stopped’ enough? When you expect farmers to reach rallies, why could you not find alternate routes? But we must also notice that Ruldu Singh Mansa, Suresh Kauth had reached Lakhimpur. Local leaders Richa Singh and Guramneet Singh Mangat was present. In two days, before others, by changing his appearance, Charuni reached Lakhimpur.

3. When we say leaders were not allowed to enter Lakhimpur, orders were issued that no one from Panjab can enter Lakhimpur, we need to acknowledge that no doubt Gandhis and Akhilesh Yadav are recognisable faces but Jayanth Chaudhary from Rashtriya Janata Dal and Trinamool Congress leaders sneaked into Lakhimpur. Journalists like Mandeep Punia and Sandeep Singh, film makers like Nakul Sawhney sneaked in like many other reporters. I think it is question of who was quick on uptake and who was interested in optics. Certainly, the Gandhis need not have posted videos of sweeping rooms. That is calling attention to self rather than issue at hand.

4. Tikait being played up as sole leader to negotiate deal at Lakhimpur and then being exposed next day by Indian Express is to me part of BJP’s well known tactic: use and throw. It is a planted story. Just that once again it did not work. This does not mean there are no issues with Tikait inside Uttar Pradesh Samyukt Kisan Morcha. These wrinkles must be ironed out but once again, like earlier, BJP’s move did not work.

5. We know there is a struggle between Modi and Yogi. We know BJP excels in creating well-managed micro riots which it can use for propaganda. We know the regime is very rattled by the farmers’ UP Mission. I think all of this has a bearing on how BJP targeted farmers in general, and Sikhs in particular – to exploit the community and caste lines across which the farmers’ protest is built. If the Centre tried to undercut Yogi by creating Lakhimpur. Yogi checkmated not only SKM but also Centre by agreeing to demands. Yet, he has not succeeded.

As of now, SKM has given government time until October 12th (end of final rights of slain farmers) to arrest Monu, Sumit Jaiswal, Ankit Das and other accomplices involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre and remove Teni from ministership. Monu has not obeyed the state summons to present himself by today morning.

Overall, now on day 5, I have a sense SKM managed to deflect assault. Political parties are up in arms for Teni and Monu’s arrest. The farmers protest has now moved to east UP which, if successful, could be BJP’s waterloo in UP. The Supreme Court has taken suo moto cognisance of the Lakhimpur incident. We have innocents killed in Kashmir. We have had a superstar’s son arrested over drugs which is fast proving to be a fake case. All of this is meant to distract us, not allow us to think, ask questions, keep the pressure on the government.

My only suggestion: from whatever happens, we need to draw conclusions without giving in to Sangh’s game plan.

Day 314

Toll 628

Us

Though living in current India is a constant reminder, it is when the farmers protest began that the year 1984 started haunting me again. My mind would project horror scenarios. I would be scared to fall asleep lest I dream worse happenings. I wonder if that happens to you. I wonder if that has now – after Lakhimpur Khedi killings – started happening to you. At the core of all those nightmares is the brazen, unlawful, brutality of the state, and its apathy to acknowledge and address the situation on the ground.

It has been three days since MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni’s son mowed down and crushed farmers. Allegedly he shot and killed one farmer. Yet, we continue to live as if life is normal. While victim families, farmers, Samyukt Kisan Morcha and some political parties are raising the demand to sack the minister, arrest him, his son and accomplices, there is overall a deafening silence by the society.

Remember the lynchings? Akhlaq, Pehlu Khan, others? Now the mode of violence has shifted to vehicles but the impetus remains the same – impunity. ‘Jaante nahin mera Baap kaun hai?’; ‘Kya kar loge Bhench**?’ That arrogance is the culmination of an unlawful state. We have enabled it.

Yet, what do we do hiding behind walls of assumed security? We become spectators to a blood sport. Until, one day, the violence comes home and the gladiators finish us off. We comment on SKM, we talk about its issues, now newspapers are pitting its leaders against each other. Yet, we do not realise, these leaders are really common people. They have been thrust into a nearly 11 month long protest and that takes a toll on the protesters, on them and on us. Patience is wearing thin.

Of course, there are differences between them. Of course, some of us have differences with them. Yet, this is the group, unwittingly leading hundreds of thousands of farmers, who stand as the last bulwark against absolute authoritarianism and erosion of all democratic values. If this wall falls, we can forever say bye bye to this nation.

The farmers protest is now poised between what direction SKM can give and farmers will follow versus when will the nation rise, lend its tangible solidarity to show the regime its place. The nation will have to rise with all its issues and they do not have to be agrarian. The Hindutva regime has assaulted us all – there are labour codes, there are women, there are caste fault lines, there are minorities, there are PSU employees, there are traders, and so on. In fact, I do not see any caste or class group left unaffected in a bad way by the regime.

As time passes, this jostling between farmers and the nation becomes more acute. I just hope the nation rises before things get out of hand. If they do, every single one of us will be responsible.

Two videos: One of a BJP supporter who was in the Thar which mowed down people. He says Bhaiya – Ashish Mishra (Monu) was driving. Another of slain journalist Raman’s brother, telling how media is manipulating testimonies on the ground. Click here …

Note: Last three days, Internet has been switched off in Lakhimpur area. Once the jam is lifted, much more direct evidence will tumble out. Including, I sadly hope, of Gurvinder’s, one the slain farmers, bullet wound and this post-mortem rigmarole become clinching evidence, not the primary evidence. But there is no ban on the people’s anger in the region. That they remain non-violent is a hall mark of their courage and wisdom.

I just hope it is not too late by then.