15
Jun

Farmers Protest: Unlock

   Posted by: aman   in Other, Punjab

Day 201

Toll 512

#FarmersProtest

Unlock

Now that the peak second wave COVID-19 is officially behind us and the country is opening up again, it is time to evaluate a genuine concern many well-wishers and also naysayer lapdog media raised a few weeks ago. It was about the effect of COVID-19 on the farmer protests.

Many feared the protests will become a super-spreader event like the Kumbh Mela or the later rounds of the Bengal elections. The farmers and labour, the leaders of the various unions, believed a simple home truth: the Farm Laws will devastate us anyway, will cause thousands if not lakhs of suicides, just that they would remain invisible to the country, like they have been in the last two decades – close to 4 lakh suicides.

If the virus has to devastate us, they felt, it is better we die fighting than cowering in our homes. Of course, various unions were at different points regarding the virus and later the vaccines. Whether to sanitise or not, whether to mask or not, how much social distancing is possible. But there was no question of going back. That is the nature of a Morcha – battle encampment. You do not withdraw.

There is a general belief in rural India that vaccines kill healthy people. Though anecdotal, people have seen this happen and news spreads like wild fire. Some unions asked for vaccine camps, government was very slow in moving. Many did not turn up for vaccination.

On masks, I am not sure we understand the gravity of the problem on ground: insidious elements, backed by the government, could enter the protests and harm them from within. There were incidents of tents being put to fire, there have been incidents in the past of infiltrators trying to sabotage the protests.

Now that we have figures, we can clearly see that in the last few weeks, a total of 10 people at the protests have died from COVID-19. 2 people died from post-COVID complications. This is the lowest count anywhere in the country. This is certainly far lower than what would have happened if the protesters had gone home.

The real numbers of cases and dead are just not available. Stigma, poor reporting, deliberate obfuscation have forever hidden the real numbers from us. The protests did not become a super-spreader event. Hence all those well-wishers need to take heart. The lapdog media needs to shut up.

In fact, while the government failed to contain the virus, the makeshift hospitals at the protest sites helped the people around protests sites with beds, oxygen and medicines.

While no one knows why the virus did not devastate the protests, the question should be a prime importance to all researchers. From what I heard earlier from doctors, open air makes a huge difference. If I may also suggest, though with no evidence, psychologically, a sense of purpose and courage makes a difference. We all know how resolute and steadfast the farmers remain.

While officially the second wave peak seems to be behind us, we are unlocking, if we look at last year’s data, you will see the cases grow post-lockdown: from July to September 2020. That is why it is too early to say the virus crises is behind us. We must remain cautious and continue to maintain protections.

Yet, we must note something. I humbly request: if we are not farmers and labour, if we are not at the protests, we must all refrain from pontificating, from sermonising to the protesters.

These farmer and labour have produced food for us for over half a century, in fact, from the birth of civilisation. Please know, they are sensible, they would not jeopardize us. If possible, look at their deep crises and shift your attention to the government which remains apathetic to their issues.

Please use your energies to target the government not the protests.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 at 11:14 am and is filed under Other, Punjab. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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