Day 64

#FarmersProtest

Makhad Jaal – Spider’s Web

1. Yesterday, was a day of great morale recovery. Leaders addressed farmers all day at Singhu and Tikri. It helped people process their emotions.

2. Ghazipur was in mourning over loss of a life, in confusion over what happened on Republic Day at Red Fort and ITO – lathi-charge and teargassing. By last afternoon it was clear the police had played mischief. It had blocked the approved route for the Tractor March, pushed farmers towards Red Fort and ITO. ‘Dilli eik Makhad Jaal hai’ says Tikait – Spider’s Web. Once you see the game, you find your bearings. Morale is high again.

3. Late last night, current was cut at Ghazipur. Farmers were on high alert all night to avert any adverse police action. They had learnt from what had happened on January 25th night – thousands of undesired infiltrators had entered the site for the Tractor March on 26th. The night remained free of incident.

4. Government is tightening screws: it has filed FIRs on farmer leaders blaming them for the disruption during Tractor March, evicted those who were sitting on Haryana toll plazas. Many from Shahjahanpur Morcha had already gone back home, police trying to evict the rest. Police also evicted the Baghpat site on Delhi-Saharanpur highway.

5. There is enough evidence now that the Red Fort fracas was a planned stunt. Though it did distract on the day of the Tractor March, I normally give a new twist 48 hours to assess if it sticks. This distraction has also paled. But yes, it has given the government a handle to trouble the protestors. Let us see how it plays out.

By and large, in terms of emotions and numbers, the protests are back at where they were on Jan 20th. They are going strong. Yes, the government and administration is getting rougher. It is time to weather their many actions.

Personally, unions decision to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination day as ‘Praschit Diwas – Day of Atonement’ is a great reminder to all of us of what we have made this nation over the last 72 years. Would just like to add, atonement need not only be observed, but it should lead to actions that help us stitch the tears in our society. We should all commit ourselves to it.

Stay collected, focus on real issue: Farm Laws and MSP. Any farmer weathers many sudden adversities: untimely rains, diseases, crop failure, prices crashes. Yet, the farmer, tied to land, continues to stand by his khet – land. That is the farmer’s nature.