Day 311
Toll 623
Irrelevant
What is the worst that can happen to a leader? A PM? Simply that what he says does not get reported, no one takes him seriously, everyone ignores him like he ignores people. That is exactly what happened to PM Modi’s statement on farmers protest yesterday. No one paid attention. Same banal lies, no one is interested.
This becoming irrelevant is the worst fate to befall someone as narcissistic as Modi. It happened last time when farmers organised their parliament in parallel to the Indian parliament. It happened yesterday and will continue to happen. Of course, electoral politics is a different ball game.
The same happened to ex CM Panjab Amarinder Singh when he went to discuss farmers issues and protest with the Home Minister. Too late Maharaja! You didn’t think of this for 10 months and when unseated you sought to become farmers uninvited representative. No, the farmers protest won’t allow you to appropriate it. It is interesting how though there is no let up from miseries, now the society is able to side line irrelevant discourses.
Yesterday, within a few hours of farmers in Haryana and Panjab protesting in front of elected MLAs across party lines, the Central government started paddy procurement. However, it is a sad comment how even for basics we now need to start protesting against this government. It shows how the governments have eroded democracy.
On the other hand, for those who wonder what will be the role of farmers protest in eastern Uttar Pradesh in the coming state elections, the SKM’s Padayatra from Champaran in Bihar to Varanasi began yesterday. Another Kisan Yatra left from Rudrapur to reach Ghazipur Border. Farmers have occupied the helipad at Maharaja Agrasen Ground at Tikunia, Tehsil Nighasan in District Lakhimpur Kheri of Uttar Pradesh. They are protesting against the Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Mishra Teni who issued an open threat to SKM leaders in a public meeting recently.
The farmers have the government by the jugular. We just need to join efforts to press harder.