Jan 28, 2021

So thankful to anonymous who put up the translation of my post in Hindi on twitter.

Please see here …

Jan 28, 2021, late evening

Dear Nation,

#FarmersProtest is not a circus, a spectacle for all to go ooh! ah! at a leader of Rakesh Tikait stature to be crying on national media. He is not crying for himself. He is crying because he has taken a stand: support the Sikhs, support the farmers of the nation.

In the 1980s, the narrative was twisted so much that the whole nation believed Sikhs were wrong. After the 1990s, the nation moved at such a breath taking speed that urban India forgot the rural India.

Tikait is crying because he stands with his brothers, with his land. This means so much to me who was growing up in the 1980s and saw the discourse on Sikhs turn from soldiers and farmers to traitors and terrorists. I find a warm embrace in his tears.

Would the nation give this warm embrace to its Sikhs, to its farmers? You know I have been active from Day 1 of the protests, just so we do not have a repeat of the 1980s. Just that much. I was a little boy then, an adult now. Would my understanding of India then and now be the same? Then what is the use of my life? Is it too much to ask? Is it too much to ask that we stand up against injustice and live in this nation?

Ask yourself: what you can do? Amplify the protests, reject the Hindutva propaganda machinery. Why does Tikait have to wait for his village to get him water? He has come to your home Dilli.

Dilli, we saw your big heart to January 26. Now once again please, get out on the streets to preserve the Ghazipur protest site. Get them water. Get them electricity.

Do it! Please.

June 28, 2021

Dear friends,

In spite of my personally alerting a lot of regular media – not even lapdog media – on the evening of January 25th, almost no one reached Mukarba Chowk, Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar on 26th morning. This is where the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee had already announced they will enter the Outer Ring Road. See 1st comment.

Later, upon the march, the same media claimed innocence, ‘intelligence failure, lack of prior knowledge’. Media showed lathi charge and skirmishes but none of them, not a single one, mentioned that police had blocked even the approved routes for Tractor March. For example, The police tear gassed farmers at Ghazipur who sought to go down Akshardam to take a U-turn to march on approved roads. Or turn towards Geeta Colony. The police sent farmers to Red Fort and ITO, where they lathi-charged them. This in spite of prior knowledge. This is the hypocrisy of our media.

Yet, bravely, deserves my respect, independent film makers such as my friend Nakul Singh Sawhney, Kartik Nijhawan and others reached the spot that morning. ScoopWhoop ground reports in comments below. Nakul, unfortunately lost his phone during the day. Yet, he sent this dispatch:

I will probably write about everything that happened yesterday in greater detail later. But for now, one small note.

Before you get carried away by all those media ‘reports’ on the ‘violence’ by farmers and ‘indisciplined’ protesters, just try and remember one thing: there were easily 7-10 lakh people on the streets of Delhi yesterday. It’ll be safe to assume that over 90% of them were men. From possibly some of the most hyper masculine parts of the country.

And yet, there isn’t a single report about common civilians of Delhi being attacked or harassed or their properties being vandalised. Not a single report about common women on Delhi’s streets being harassed in any way. The only reports of ‘violence’ and ‘clashes’ was that against the police and RAF, basically the state apparatus.

As someone who saw a lot of the ‘violence’ I can assure you that most of it was provoked by the police. Not one civilian casualty (except of farmers themselves) have been reported.

So, breathe easy if you are so perturbed about the ‘violence’, because none of it was targeted against you.

A Very Happy Belated Republic Day!

—

My message to media outlets January 25, evening.

This is the message I sent out:

At the Farmers Protests, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee has declared that it does not abide by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha new route for the Tractor Parade. KMSC is independent of SKM.

KSMC has declared it will follow the generally declared plan on January 17 – Tractor March on Delhi’s Outer Ring Road. This would mean, 10 kms from Singhu, at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, Mubarka Chowk (sic), where SKM wants the rally to proceed right towards Bawana, KMSC will ask its union and those who act on their call to turn left towards Azadpur/ISBT.

This could be a point of conflict because the police will barricade the route to Azadpur/ISBT. KMSC has declared their march will be peaceful and disciplined and if the state exerts violence, they will not retaliate. Instead, they will take the blows or bullets but they want to exert the right of the nation’s citizens to celebrate the Republic Day.

I feel you may want this covered by your reporters.

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.

Day 63

#FarmersProtest

Kashmir Model

To me personally, the Tractor March on Delhi’s Outer Ring Road was a great event. Ordinary citizens of the nation – around 2 lakh tractors, at least 7-9 lakh famers – asserted their right to walk the national capital, mark the day we as a nation renew our pledge to live by our Constitution. Barring some unfortunate skirmishes, there was no damage to any person, private or public property. After the march, all farmers returned back to their camps at Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur, Shahjahanabad, and Palval.

Based on my sporadic talks with some people on all protest sites, this is what I have learnt about what the farmers are feeling when they reached back their sites. We must know, the farmers are tired, they braved police tear gassing, lathi charges. They want to rest, catch some sleep. They feel this whole effort was such a drain of energy and are asking themselves if this march was even necessary? What have they gained from it. The exhaustion is so great that they do not even know if they should feel happy they accomplished the march.

- Flag on Red Fort: they learn that some individuals had been adventurous and installed the Sikh Nishan Sahib, flag, on Red Fort. No union or leader had made the call to install Sikh flags on Red Fort. As argued earlier in my posts, the act did not threaten the Indian state. No one touched the Tricolour. It was certainly not an act related to Khalistan.

Yet, Godi media has picked it up, some in urban India are having paroxysms.

The farmers are dismayed. They have been camping in Delhi for the past 63 days to get the Farm laws repealed. Not to play some symbolic games around flags. Their issues are political economy not religious. Such is history that for centuries these people have lived by the edge of their sword. In various movements of the past century, and for the last 63 days they have walked the razor’s edge of non-violence. Now they sense the state will turn repressive. They have seen repression earlier, they know it harms grievously.

Who are these people unfurling flags on Red Fort in imitation of Baba Baghel Singh in 1783? A flag is an important symbol. If unfurled politically, it must be defended. Yet, where is Deep Sidhu? He has run away! He is in hiding! They know he was Sunny Deol’s campaign manager in last elections, his pictures with Modi, his affiliation with BJP. They have been deeply suspicious of him since he set up the Shambhu Morcha. How dare he now jeopardise their farmer protest? They are angry. They know in their long history, how such moles have betrayed them in the past, in their wars with British. They are disgusted.

- Leadership Vacuum: the farmers are also wondering about their march – how many distractions, how many new routes, how many police barricades even on routes allowed. Singhu – they know at Mubarka Chowk there was a disagreement between Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha. KSMC had given the call to enter Delhi. SKM wanted to march on outskirts of Delhi. KSMC was willing to break barricades, youth wanted to go with them. Yet, such teargassing! Why did the leaders not mutually resolve this beforehand?

Tikri – why were some tractors turned around at Nangloi and not allowing the march to Najafgarh as planned? Why did police lathi charge them? Where were the leaders? Ghazipur – why did police barricade both routes, to Akshardam and Geeta Colony? How could they then march? Their group landed up in Red Fort, the flag incident happened. Another group was trapped in ITO where they were badly canned.

Where were the leaders through all this? Did the leaders not say they will be in front? Did they not say, if police takes action, they will be the first to be hit? Where are they now, by evening, by next morning? Only at 10 am at Singhu did some leaders call for a meeting over mechanical mikes and speakers. What will they tell us badly beaten people? Will they help us process our emotions? What next from here – are Unions going to come together again and push for repeal of Black Laws or will there be a split now? Will our camps be the positives ‘melas and langars’ of resistance or will we be enveloped in gloom? What next on talks with government?

- Internet Blackout: why is their Internet blocked? Why can’t they call their near and dear ones and assure them they are safe? their families back home are worried. They want to connect with friends, share experiences, learn what happened through the day. They can’t! The government has cut the lines.

What are their leaders saying? What is the media saying? What is India saying? They stayed non-violent. They hope India knows this …

This is what happened in Kashmir. They supported Kashmir through its darkness. They know, terrible, terrible things were happening there. Yet, they tried to support. The courts blocked their protests, they continued to support.

They hope India now supports them.

Else, what happened to Kashmir, what is happening to them now, will happen to India, part by part. All the issues are to do with political economy, but they get distracted by religious symbolism.

Know this, do not fall for the Hindutva propaganda machinery. They showed you yesterday that the nation is its people.

The farmers protest against Farm Laws and for implementation of MSP continues. Sabr!

Dear Friends,

Despite the silly flag incident, a few unfortunate skirmishes, consider the magnitude of what happened in Delhi yesterday. Around 2 lakh tractors, at least 7-9 lakh famers asserted their right to walk into their national capital on the day we mark to renew our pledge to live by our Constitution. This with no damage to any person, private or public property.

While most of our ‘national’ media has surrendered so abjectly to the regime, true news now survives on local internet media and sometimes in international media.

FRANCE 24 journalist, Leela Jacinto wrote about what happened, interviewed me. I said:

On government:

‘Modi has harvested decades of agrarian anger with the farm laws. Today’s events show that the state underestimated the might of the people.’
On Sanyukt Kisan Morcha: ‘Nobody understood why the decision was made to route the protest by keeping farmers on the outskirts of Delhi. The SKM didn’t spend enough effort to make the people understand. I think the SKM also underestimated the farmers by deciding everyone should follow the route.’

Thank you Leela. Please read here …

Tags: France24

Dear Friends,

The Quint also published a fact-check on the flag fiasco on Republic Day.

Please read here …

Tags: flag fact check, The Quint

Dear Friends,

This is my full quote but for editorial reasons for AltNews, which I completely understand, could not be included.

On visual of flags on Red Fort:

Whether yellow or saffron, triangular flags with the Khanda – two swords – are Sikh flags. They are not Khalistan flags. In fact, there is no established or legitimate Khalistan flag. When a flag is hoisted as a symbol of regime change, the previous flag is brought down and the new flag is unfurled.

In this case, the Tricolour, the flag of India, continues to be hoisted. It has not been touched. There is no intention to touch it. The hoisting of Sikh flag means that the people of the nation want to assert their identity as well. They want to be counted. They want the rulers of the nation to not take them for granted. That is why the Sikhs hoisted their flags.

Must note, it was not part of any Union’s program. There was no call made for it.

History:

On 11 March 1783 the combined army of Baghel Singh of Karorsinghia Misl (military term: divisions or formations) with Jassa Singh Ahluwalia leading the Ahluwalia Misl and Jassa Singh Ramgarhia leading the Ramgarhia Misl defeated the Mughal army and captured Delhi. They detached the throne of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (on which he sat and ordered the death of 9th Guru Teg Bahadur), tied it to elephants and dragged it to Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. Even today the slab is present at the Darbar Sahib in the Ramgarhia Bunga.

Places in Delhi such as Mori Gate, Tis Hazari, are named from that period of Sikh history. The Sikhs also established Gurdwara Rakabganj at the site where two followers of the Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur – Lakhi Shah Banjara and his son Naghaiya – cremated his headless body, by setting their own house on fire.

Having done that, the Sikh armies retreated back to Panjab. The Sikh ethos is never to be an aggressor or oppressor.

Please see here …

Tags: AltNews, Khalistan Flag, Nishan Sahib

Dear Friends,

On Republic Day night, Manpreet Dhindsa Sahota interviewed me for RedFM Canada on the Tractor Parade on Republic Day. In Panjabi.

Please listen here…

Tags: Manpreet Dhindsa Sahota, RedFM Canada