What will happen to the farmer protest after the Red Fort incident

Posted on 27th Jan 2021 by rohit kumar

Farmers took out a tractor march on Republic Day against the three agricultural laws of the Center. On the one hand, while thousands of farmers from different areas of Delhi were seen sitting in a tractor carrying the tricolor and the flag of their organization, on the other hand, there were violent clashes between police and farmers in many areas.

 

During this time a farmer was killed and a group of farmers entered the Red Fort and hoisted the Sikh religious flag of the Sikh Sahib. Amidst all this, the biggest question is arising that what will be the protest that has been going on for more than two months?

 

Based on the violence on Tuesday, will the government stop this protest or will the farmer protest become more fierce?

 

But to find the answer to these questions, it is important to know what happened on Tuesday.

 

Farmers' tractor rally started around 9 am on Tuesday. The route was decided after several rounds of talks with the police. Afternoon, reports of breaking barricades, attempts to divert from the fixed route, and firing lathi-charge and tear gas shells started coming in from many places.

 

Shortly after, pictures and videos of hoisting the Sikh religious flag Nishan Saheb on the historic Red Fort were engraved in the media. It was also said in some media that the Khalistani flag was hoisted on the Red Fort insulting the tricolor.

 

But later it became clear that the flag hoisted on the Red Fort was the religious flag mark of the Sikhs. The police have held farmers responsible for this and said that 83 policemen were injured in Tuesday's incident and public property was also damaged during this period.

 

The police have also registered at least four FIRs. Holding the farmers responsible for the violence, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava said, "The time and route for the tractor rally was decided after several rounds of meetings. But the farmers brought the tractor from another place instead of the fixed route and they Even before the appointed time. Many police officers have been injured in the ruckus that followed. "

 

Whose responsibility

 

The farmers are blaming some of their 'lost' companions and the Delhi Police and the Central Government for all this. Indian Farmers Union spokesman Rakesh Tikait said that the police have broken several tractors and will have to pay their fine.

 

The farmers' organization, United Kisan Morcha, issued a statement announcing the end of the tractor parade with immediate effect. Statements of political parties also started coming in this matter. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has tweeted and condemned the violence in the parade.

 

He tweeted, "Shocking scenes in Delhi. Violence done by some elements is unacceptable. The credibility that the peaceful protesting farmers have created, will harm it. Farmer leaders separate themselves from it And have stopped the tractor rally. I appeal to all genuine farmers to clear Delhi and return to the borders. "

 

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi also said that violence is not the solution to any problem and the Modi government should withdraw the agricultural law.

 

NCP President Sharad Pawar also said that the way the protest was handled is vexatious. The Aam Aadmi Party also blamed the central government for this. The DMK and Mamta Banerjee also blamed the central government for this.

 

In a conversation with the media, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that the police also barricaded the roads on which the tracker rally was agreed.

 

He said, "There will be away. This is a big conspiracy. The way the police gave it, there was barricading on it, it is obvious that the farmers went on the other side. Some people were never part of the protest and decided They had come that they had to go ahead. We will mark them. Those who came for a day, they spoil. What happened on the Red Fort went wrong. No religious program is part of our protest. We strongly condemn it. Don't. "

 

Many people are also calling it the failure of Delhi Police and Intelligence. But the BJP is praising the Delhi Police for this.

 

BJP National Spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal said during a conversation with BBC, "I will greet the Delhi Police the way they handled the situation peacefully despite such provocation. We should understand the problem of the police. If the police used force first So this farmer who is playing the Victim Card and many political parties who are giving political and intellectual cover to that Victim Card would get more strength. ''

 

Swaraj Party President Yogendra Yadav, associated with the Kisan protest, also expressed sorrow over the incident and said that those who have done such an act on the Red Fort were not part of the protest from day one.

 

Farmer leader Manjit Singh said in a conversation with BBC correspondent Arvind Chhabra that no one had any plans to visit the Red Fort. According to Manjit Singh, some people were instigated. The United Kisan Morcha also issued a statement saying that some anti-social elements had entered our peaceful protest.

 

In his statement, he said, "Peace is our biggest weapon and any violation of it hurts the protest."

 

What will happen to the farmer's protest?

 

After Tuesday's incident, the most important question is what will happen to the farmer protest now. Are the leaders associated with the farmers protest under any kind of pressure after Tuesday's incident and the way their statement came on this whole incident, they have come on some backfoot?

 

Senior journalist Seema Chishti does not believe so. In conversation with the BBC, she says, "They (farmer leaders) are very mature and very strong people who have experience of running programs for a long time." They have been speaking so far in a very clear and direct manner. They know that the way the government has complete control over the government machinery and the media system that this (the Red Fort incident) will cause the whole thing to wander. This is proof of their intelligence that they are talking about three laws so that the entire farmer protest is not linked to just one incident in the Red Fort. ''

 

Devendra Sharma, an expert in agricultural affairs, says that the entire charge is being made by the society and the media. According to him, it is wrong to call farmers as chaotic elements or terrorists.

 

Devendra Sharma also believes that the Moral Highground that the farmers had taken so far from Tuesday's incident will not get any heat and that is intact. Devendra Sharma says that farmers are very sad due to Tuesday's incident but they are very clear about their demands and there will be no change in them.

 

However, they say that the farmer leaders must take collective responsibility for it.

 

He adds, "Those who are sitting there, they have brought pain and agony. They hoped that if they sit on the dharna, their solution will be found. Even though the farmers have been sitting on the Delhi border for two months, but in Punjab, The protest had been going on for three to four months. There has been a shortage that no solution was found.

 

Some people are saying that the government can try to end the farmer protest under the guise of Tuesday's incident.

 

BJP spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agrawal does not believe this and says that the government does not want to take advantage of any opportunity.

 

In a conversation with the BBC, he says, "We believe in democratic values. Farmers want to agitate peacefully, they are welcome. We give democratic values ​​an important place in this India till the end. To oppose it and our point Everyone has the right to keep it. But if someone says that the matter of people living in a minority, it will not happen.

 

According to Gopal Krishna Agarwal, there are 14 crore farmers in India and the number of farmers performing on the Delhi border is much less than those who are supporting this law.

 

What can the government do?

 

So can the government think again about the withdrawal of the law?

 

Devendra Sharma says that the government should have shown a big heart and these three laws should be withdrawn. BJP spokesperson categorically denies this.

 

He says that since the protest started, the government talked to the farmers for 45 hours in 11 rounds, gave the change in writing above 20, the government proposed to postpone these laws, and the committee together with the farmers Proposed to be formed. But the government rejected everything.

 

He further says, "It is not permissible to talk of withdrawal of law. This is to impose minority opinion on majority farmers. This can lead to another protest. The most significant change has occurred since 1991. Everyone used to talk, but no one dared to bring this law. Anytime reforms are to be made, political capital has to be invested for it. Modi has invested in it. There is a clear view in the government that this law is in the interest of farmers and millions of farmers are in support of it. "

 

But Seema Chishti does not agree with this argument of the BJP spokesperson. She says, "The world is struggling with an epidemic, India is struggling." Three laws are brought in between them in this way. They are not debated, do not vote on them and they are passed without a committee and passed in a day. So what kind of majority is it. What was needed right now is that it is being brought. ''

 

Farmer leaders have said that they will decide their next strategy in a day or two. The farmers had announced to march to Parliament on February 1, the budget day, but Seema Chishti feels that the Parliament march may be postponed now and will try to cool the matter.

 

Seema Chishti says, "Farmers would like to talk about their issue (return of law) and the government would like that the issue should not be discussed, in some way this thing should be put on the flag. There is a huge stigma on his record for the Modi government and especially for the Home Minister. On Republic Day, there is a blockade everywhere, police are stationed. Everyone knows that farmers are going to rally tractors and if the government could not protect such a big fort (red fort), then there is a push for them too, their image is damaged. "

 

According to Seema Chishti, the government would like it to be presented by making it a matter of law and order but they are not seeing this weakening the farmer protest.

 

What will be the next step of the farmers' leaders, they will get complete information about it in a few hours, but it is sure that after Tuesday's event, there are some challenges before them.