History Redefined at World's Largest Protest: Guest Post

The words of Spanish American philosopher George Santayana that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" are so often used and yet frequently disregarded. The latest example is of the three farm-laws passed by the Indian government which are aimed at the market taking control of famers' land. The farmers of India have risen against these laws in what has been called the largest protest in the world by political analysts. The initial protest was from the province of Punjab but has spread all over India with several million farmers and many more supporting them from outside the farming community as well. We bring to you an article written by Peace Vigil supporter, Jasleen Kaur, who agrees with some analysts that this moment in India's history can be compared to the early 20th century when the British had enacted laws which would have snatched the land from the farmers and how they in turn began the Pagri Sambhal Jatta movement in Punjab. The leaders included Sikh, Muslim and Hindu farmers who stood up united against injustice. Jasleen Kaur also shares her feelings of hurt that the Indian government is discrediting the famers' movement as a religious separatist movement when in fact, it is a grassroots movement for justice.

History redefined at World’s largest protest

History is being repeated by deliberately distorting the political climate in the form of newly introduced three farm laws which are considered as evil laws by Indian farmers. The major allegations framed by farmers is that new farm laws is farsighted trick and deliberate attempt by ruling government to benefit capitalist fraternity in this country and it will reduce their status from land owners to labourers. The protest is led by farmers from Punjab and Haryana initially but are getting support from the farmers across the nation.The whole world is witnessing this political turmoil - neither the ruling government, nor the farmers are wiling to back down.

The three farm laws enacted in September 2020 have the hidden intention to transfer farming in private hands. Even if it is beneficial, a democratic government can’t take a forced route of displeasing half the population (more than 50% of India's population is involved in the agrarian sector) and enforcing a law without hearing out the reasons for dissent. Reiterating the same point over and over again (the approach adopted by the government) will not make it convincing and correct.

Some anlaysts have equated this agitation to the 1909 Pagri Sambhal Jatta movement or rather we can say history is repeating in the form of new farm laws. We can also say it is new wave of Pagri Sambhal Jatta. However, unlike the current protest which has been peaceful, Pagri Sambhal Jatta movement had initiated violence. On Republic Day, 26th January 2021, did create an uproar and displeasure on Delhi streets but due to ill will of few people (who should be put behind bars) we can’t discredit the entire protest consisting 35 farmers organizations protesting against current farm laws.

A major doubt still prevails on how a high security area like ‘Red Fort’ monument which has tight police security throughout the year was left unattended during a major occasion of India, Republic Day.

Pagri Sambhal Jatta movement was the farmers' agitation against three British Laws - the Doab Bari Act, Punjab Land Colonisation Act and the Punjab Land Alienation Act and can be related to the ongoing farmers' agitation against three farm laws introduced by the GOI.

The world is witnessing the outage from farmers against these three draconian laws but ruling party is insisting that this is for farmers good and are portraying agitation as anti-national activity hijacked by urban Naxals etc. It is a evident that this agitation has also brought out the dark image of government against Sikhs. The scenario has filled people of Punjab and Sikhs with resentment and betrayal. The farmers are sitting in protest for more than five months and more than 159 farmers have lost their lives but the government has become a mute spectator. This ignorant behaviour of the government regarding this is even more disappointing. Our PM is tweeting for cricketers injured finger and wishing them a speedy recovery but is not perturbed of farmers losing life in numbers and spending days and night on street in extreme cold weather and open bathing and defecation.

We may not be involved in any relation with these farmers that we feel pain for them but there is one relation that binds us all, its humanity.

On the other hand, every deliberate possible scenario is being made to suppress the revolt by pushing theories of separatist movement through the biased media coverage done by lapdog media. It is clear from the very beginning of the protest that farmers only want to repeal the draconian laws. But few organizations and people very cleverly, through negative publicity, are trying to give it another shade. They are trying to put a question mark on the solidarity and integrity of farmers by brain washing the minds of citizens to see farmers and Sikhs as anti-nationals. This is claimed as the protest is largely led by Punjab farmers who are mostly Sikh.

India has witnessed anti-CAA protest in Shaheen Bagh earlier where agitators, many of whom were Muslims, were also considered as anti-nationals; Today, we can sympathize how it feels when you speak out for your rights & justice but are equated as antinational by marking out your religion.

I would like to draw attention of the world that we have examples from history that whenever the country honour and dignity was in danger, Sikhs and the people from the state of Punjab made supreme sacrifices. The history of Sikh religion is about bravery against tyranny, Sikhs laid down their lives to fight for India's freedom from Britain. They have since then also served valiantly in the Indian armed forces.

But on the other hand, another hard reality and irony is that right from pre independence and post independence era Punjab & Sikhs have been badly used by different political parties for their own selfish interests. During the partition of country in 1947; then ruling party leader unanimously decided to give away most of part Punjab to newly built Pakistan. This was major shock to chest of state of Punjab as they lost major of their fertile farmland was given away.

It was again the then government which in 1984 attacked the Golden Temple in the guise of killing the terrorist, Bindrawala and his men as they were hiding in the temple. It was well planned conspiracy of the then ruling government to have a share in the earnings of Golden Temple. This led to massive outrage against the government and the then Prime Minister.

Following the assasination of the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in late 1984, Delhi and neighbouring areas witnessed genocide against the Sikh community. It was a dark chapter in history when members of the ruling party, along with goons, were involved in the carnage - murdering and killing Sikh men, women and children and raping Sikh women. Even the police kept mum. Around 10,000 people were killed in this carnage. My family decided to cut their beards and hair to get away from these killings but when they remembered the prime sacrifices of our Gurus who despite terrible torture and circumstances did not let anyone touch their hair, they decided to go along and take the risk of death.

After that, for many years, Punjab saw dark era of terrorism, fake encounters by police of innocent youth; all was properly pre planned by then ruling government. Then again in 1966 and 1971 Punjab was further sub-divided and states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were made out of it on the basis language (Punjabi and non-Punjabi speaking). Several governments have come and gone…. 38 years have passed since the pogrom of 1984 but justice has not been delivered to the victims.

During the time of the National Emergency of 1975, when whole opposition was put behind bars by ruling government, our now PM went on hiding place to place by wearing Sikh turban with increased beard and moustaches. So, Sikh disguise is great when you need to hide but do their life matter?

As mentioned in the beginning of this write up, that history is being repeated. Present ruling government is walking on the same track of the previous government. People of Punjab and Sikhs are again facing the same situation of 1947 & 1984. The ruling government’s anti-Sikh face is visible in this farmers protest. People of Punjab are feeling cheated & have a sense of alienation majorly due to ‘farak nai padta’ (do not care) attitude of government.

One of my friend asked me once, so which part of Punjab you belong to, and my answer shocked her. I said that I am born and bought in Delhi and don’t have a single relative residing in Punjab. My cousins went to Kerala for livelihood. Since childhood, we were taught to spread happiness wherever you live. Geographies and borders have never stopped any river, ocean, air or bird to flock then why religion? Sikhs are everywhere in India and the world. They are not limited to Punjab.

Dejected farmers could have got the support of 4th pillar of democracy, media for voicing their opinion but when 4th pillar also is running on pre decided agenda, without proofs calling them Khalistani movement, arranging a debate not to discuss ‘why this dissent’, but to discuss ‘how to disperse these Khalistani movement’, makes us wonder that they have already taken one sided biased decision.

I can recall from previous gov., yes they were bad but media’s role was appreciable when they condemned and questioned then PM, Dr. Manmohan Singh. Lot of memes related to ‘deaf PM’ did the round carrying funny jokes.

Today, if anyone asks questions or criticizes the government, his or her destination is jail, charged with sedation on baseless grounds. It does not matter if you are a student, young, old, sick, pregnant or paralysed.

It is important to see what the protesters are saying and asking instead of cooking up theories. When farmers said, ‘we want these farm laws to get repealed’, don’t make it as ‘we want separate nation’. It is a lie and deliberate twisting of the facts.

Why do we say in our Constitution that 100 culprits can roam free but not even a single innocent should be punished. It is for the reason that wrong punishment can affect the person’s state of mind badly and can destroy his/her sanity and wellbeing for the rest of his/her life. Are we not scarring the youth for life today by calling them insurgents and anti national by putting random charges against them, sending them behind bars only because they disagree with the state’s policies?

In such a crisis situation where world’s largest democracy is moving towards becoming a fascist country, it was heartening to hear the judgment of Justice Dharmender Rana on Disha Ravi’s case:“citizens cannot be put behind bars simply because they disagree with the government”. This judgement seems like a ray of hope in a dark empty tunnel.

To look at another case, why on earth, a comedian - Munawar Faruqui - cracking certain jokes, be put behind bars? Discomfort over jokes should at the most, lead to a warning but today it leads to people being labelled anti-nationals and put in jail. I can't imagine that making a strategy plan for our client can land us in jail! Disha Ravi did the same by the name of a ‘toolkit’.

A Google search on the meaning of media in a democracy. - It says terms like ‘media research’, advocates for the reform of mass media to ‘strengthen public service’ broadcasting and develop participation in alternative media and ‘citizen journalism’ in order to create a mass media system that ‘informs and empowers all members of society’.

We now do not fit in the media research, strengthen public service, citizen journalism, empowers all members of society, category anymore when they debate on ‘why hindu lynching’ instead of ‘why human lynching.’

Media coverage nowadays are a laughable. My source of entertainment on TV for comedy is a newsroom of a news channel where the question of ‘who takes the responsibility of current state of the nation and disharmony everywhere’ is replaced with ‘did you fast during navratras’ or ‘you are so hardworking, why don’t you get tired’. Last time I poured someone with so much butter is when my angry mother was not preparing meal for my hungry stomach.

Present government’s suppressing & oppressing behaviour in Shaheen Bagh & Farmers protest has brought out its real face of diving this country on religious grounds. It seems that the main agenda is to convert India from a democratic country to Hindu nation. It pre planned and deliberate attempt to deviate from issues of employment, inflation and other major diversified issues. Common people have been brain washed & there are on spree that ‘what we need is Hindu nation at all cost’.

Administration has succeeded to most of the extent by making differences and clash between Hindus and Muslims. Sikhs are fearless minority community who are plausible obstacle in their horrific agenda. It is now planned conspiracy of government to declare Sikhs as anti-nationals in the guise of farmers protest.

India is not made of only Hindus, Sikhs or Muslims, India would not be India if one by one every religion is destroyed. When we stay together, call ourselves and others patriot, respect each other’s feelings and religious beliefs, is when we are empowered, and it will be then difficult to break a fist. Or else today its different religious groups being attacked, tomorrow it will be the lower castes within Hinduism. Now time has come for not just Punjab or Haryana but for the entire nation to stand united and identify and suppress the malafied intentions of few officials and not allowing any party or organization to make India, land of diversity as their tool for selfish interest.

Guest Post by Jasleen Kaur