Day 276
Toll 585+
Jallianwala
Whether is is re-writing history, re-creating martyr lists, re-configuring pictures of leaders, the right-wing – which played no role in the freedom struggle and wrote apology letters to the British – is past master at creating ironies.
The Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar massacre in 1919 triggered the freedom movement in earnest. Yesterday the right wing put the irony into practice. A few hours before the prime minister was to inaugurate modern exhibits – museum and exhibits with dazzling lights – at Jallianwala Bagh, the Haryana police on the orders of Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha, mercilessly lathi-charged farmers at Bastara toll plaza breaking limbs and heads since the orders were ‘sar phod do’.
The issue was a general diktat among farmers unions to prevent the BJP-JJP Haryana government ministers from participating in public meetings and programs. Haryana CM Khattar was to come to his home constituency Karnal. Farmers were protesting at the toll plaza 15 kilometers from the CM’s venue with black flags. In the past months, skirmishes have happened, FIRs have been filed, arrests have been made, activists have been freed, government has passed draconian laws registering complaints against thousands, but this time it was sheer violence by the state.
In the re-enactment of Jallianwala Bagh at Karnal, around 10 farmers were badly injured. The police also took 11 farmers in custody. Around 3 pm, the SKM issued a call to all farmers of the state to block all roads. It was immediately implemented and the blockade stayed until this morning 7.30 am when the police released the farmers it had taken into custody.
The demand is for the SDM who gave the orders to be suspended. However, looking at how CM Khattar and and the SDM have spoken in press, alleging stone throwing by farmers, it is clear that the conspiracy to carry out a brutal attack was masterminded by powers higher than an SDM.
The real intention of the undue violence against farmers is to cause a retaliation, turn the nine-month long peaceful farmers protest violent, and use even more brutal force to evict the protesters. That is the distraction the government is trying to create from the upcoming September 5 rally in Muzaffarnagar. That rally is critical for Opposition galvanising against Yogi in UP in the upcoming elections.