Rage Republic

The ugly incidents on Delhi streets negate the goodwill generated by the peaceful agitation over the last two months

The 72nd Republic Day reminded the nation of its deep contradictions and fault lines. The streets of the national capital exemplified an inherent paradox: while the ceremonial parade on Rajpath, complete with pomp and gaiety, showcased the military might and cultural diversity of the country, the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally reflected the public distress and anger. It was a day on which Lal Bahadur Shastri’s popular call “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” was turned upside down when farmers’ protest descended into utter chaos with a section of protestors ramming the tractors through police barricades and storming the Red Fort. It was a protest that got horribly out of hand, the blame for which should lie with both the leaders of farmer associations and also the Union government. The protesters may have genuine concerns about the controversial farm laws, but the images of tractors being used to ram through whatever that came their way and armed men with swords on horses trying to run down policemen did not help their cause in any way. Deviating from the agreed protest route and then attacking the policemen, leaving several of them critically injured, and hoisting a religious flag at the Red Fort was not how a protest was meant to be organised. Both sides should have avoided taking maximalist positions. Farmers should have relented after the Centre agreed to suspend the farm laws for 18 months and could have negotiated for a longer moratorium. On its part, the Centre must agree for providing legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for various crops.

In the meantime, a consensus could have been built in favour of empowering the States to deal with farm laws because agriculture is, after all, a State subject. The problems of the farming sector, which employs over 36% of the labour force, need to be resolved in an atmosphere of give and take. Violence can never be the means to find a solution. The ugly incidents on Delhi streets negate the goodwill generated by the peaceful agitation over the last two months. Instead of celebrating what democracy offers— a chance to register protest within reasonable boundaries — the farm groups mocked the democratic tenet by flouting the understanding with authorities on the protest route and undermining the rule of law. While protest is a fundamental right, radical street politics based on appropriating law-making powers sets a wrong precedent for the future and is detrimental to democracy. The Delhi Police also need to introspect about the alleged intelligence failure and absence of operational preparedness. Both the Centre and the farmer associations must utilise the window of opportunity provided by the Supreme Court and make earnest efforts to sort out the issue.

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