Tractor as Weapon of Terror

The much publicised farmers’ tractor rally turns violent on Republic Day

Towards the end of 2020, Indian Parliament passed three farm laws with the objective of reforming the long-ignored sector. Some farmers did not approve of the legislations; they wanted to voice and register their dissent. Allowing space to their voices, the government gave them permission to sit on a dharna at the Delhi borders. The Union Agricultural Minister along with other top leaders and bureaucrats opened rounds of talks with this set of farmer leaders. The Supreme Court heard their appeal and appointed a four-member committee, including farmers and agri-economists to end the deadlock. With all these efforts of conciliation and outreach on, the protesters declared their intension to hold a tractor rally on the Republic Day (January 26) to arm up their protest. They were granted permission for this also by the Delhi Police; subject to some standard operating procedures and pre-decided routes.

 

What transpired thereon at the Republic Day made it clear that this protest was and is not about farm laws and farmers at all? The tractor rally, which was supposed to run on a pre-decided route, turned into a terror rally. The National Capital was held to ransom by the protestors. The protestors were supposed to start their rally after the Republic Day programme, however, they started even as the national celebrations were underway. By 1pm they had entered the Delhi borders and reached the heart of the National Capital Territory from ITO side after running down barricades. They terrorised and attacked the common public, journalists, and jawans of Delhi Police and CRPF who were on duty. These protestors attacked the jawans with swords, lathis and tried to bulldoze them with the tractors. More than 400 police personnel were injured severely in these attacks as per reports. The Delhi Police was ordered to exercise restraint against the protestors even in the face of extreme provocation.

 

All limits were crossed, all decency abandoned, all promises broken as the protestors occupied the Red Fort and rampaged the precincts. They hoisted flags of Khalistan and Nisan Saheb at the ramparts of the monument that is considered a symbol of the Indian republic, democracy and the power of the Indian State. The protestors hoisted their flags at different locations of Red Fort and brazenly disrespected the Indian Tricolour on Republic Day. At this point, their slogans had nothing to do with farms and farmers and echoed war cries for Khalsa Raj. The protestors had become rioters and terrorised everyone with impunity. This was a new form of terror, where in the garb of democratic protest the incendiaries desecrate national symbols and directly challenged the State. This is a clear case of attack on the Indian State and its sovereignty.

 

 

Going into the origin of this protest we find that it had nothing to do with farms, farmers and farm laws. Many leaders of this agitation are professional activists who regularly sighted sloganeering against the Indian state on rainbow issues. Their charter of demands clearly mentioned release of Naxal activists and rioters. Posters of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Varavara Rao and others with Naxalite and Islamist terror links appeared at the agitation site. Most of them have nothing to do with the cause of farmers.

 

There are clear evidences that this agitation received funds from many radical separatist organisations who demand creation of Khalistan. These organisations are banned in India. Sikhs for Justice is one such organisation that had given a call to reach the Red Fort on 26 January and unfurl the Khalistani flag. Anti-India, anti-Hindu and pro-Khalistan slogans were raised by the rioters and the agitation was hijacked by people with nefarious agenda. Intelligence reports now indicate that Rs 5 crore were transferred to Germany unit of

 

Babbar Khalsa to create a fracas in the national capital. The facilities available at the protest sites were a clear indication that this agitation is well-funded by insidious foreign elements.

 

Despite the government’s attempts to find a solution through talks and the Supreme Court’s intervention, the protesters refused to call off the stir at Delhi borders and created riot-like scenes on the streets of Delhi on January 26. The objective was to create anarchy and panic on a day of celebration and national unity. The forces behind this protest had done something similar last year during the visit of US President, and instigated riots in North-East Delhi. This farm movement has clear support of Communists whose flags were also seen at the Red Fort. Many of the protesting farmers’ bodies are frontal organisations of different Communist parties and work behind the façade of neutrality and rights of farmers. The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee is a confederation of Leftist supported farmers groups like of All India Kisan Sabha and All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, etc. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi too had shown an outpouring support for protesting farmers. The AAP Government of Delhi, which could not feed the poor migrants for five days during the pandemic, had sent their leaders to perform sewadari at the farmers’ protest. However, as havoc was unleashed on the roads of Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chose to stay mum.

 

It has been proven again that these protestors don’t want any solution to the problems of farmers. They are being handled by those who believe in the politics of anarchy and whose ultimate goal is to destabilise the Indian State. These rioters were successful in creating rampage on the streets of Delhi and desecrating national symbols, but their handlers were hoping for much more. With no bloodshed, their larger design failed. They wanted to see retaliation by the police and killing of the so-called farmers so that they could defame the government. These vultures are determined to create a Civil War like situation in India. Now farmer leaders have declared that the farm movement will be intensified. This so-called farm movement is a well-planned conspiracy to challenge and bring down the Indian state. It is the time for the Indian nation-state to reclaim its pride and position from these anarchists.