The removal of the protesting farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri borders is a welcome step even though inordinately late. The industrialists in Punjab are rightly elated over it. It will take a long time for them to recover their losses due to this politically motivated protest. People on the whole are heaving a sigh of relief, now that they will not have to take cumbersome detours while travelling from Punjab towards Delhi and the other way round, which meant huge loss of time, energy and money. Having had a taste of the previous farmers protest for thirteen long months, the Centre did right with the cooperation from the Haryana Government in blocking the entry of these farmers into Haryana on way to Delhi to recreate the ruckus that they did in 2020-21.
How the Punjab Government headed by Aam Aadmi Party mustered courage and good sense to take the stern action has given rise to a lot of speculation. Was it an inner power conflict between Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann wherein the former wanted Mann to be unpopular with the farming community through this action, so that the latter could project himself as a messiah and offer himself as a sound replacement? Kejriwal has always been viewed as a shrewd politician who does not mind cashing in on his links with the hardline Sikh politicians supporting the farmers’ protests, be it on Delhi borders or Haryana borders. Could it be the financial doldrum into which Punjab has fallen and the ruling party there is faltering on keeping election promises like providing freebies?
Another speculation is that the Centre cracked the whip and hinted at President’s rule unless the Punjab Government took strong action against the farmers. In order to keep his Chief Minister-ship secure, Mann obliged the Centre. His earlier talk with the representatives of the farmers in a meeting that he abruptly left can also be seen as a build-up to the present action that he had to take perforce.
Yet another speculation is that the foreign hand, i.e., the Deep State is now not just revealed and discredited but is also being taken on by the Trump administration. Following this, George Soros-supported companies in India have been raided by the Enforcement Directorate. The Omidyar group has already left India. This naturally casts a shadow on the shady political game behind the farmers’ protests. They rightly read the writing on the wall and did not offer much resistance while being removed.
It could also be a mix of all these factors, but whatever the motivation, the clearing of the protest sites on the Punjab borders has not come a day too soon and has provided a sigh of relief to the industry. The opposition parties are, as usual, crying foul but in the heart of hearts, they too are feeling glad as the blame for the stern action is not at their door while the people at large are feeling relieved. As for the farmers’ unions, certainly their leaders, in order to survive politically, may try to wage another battle. But over time, their machinations have been losing public sympathy. It has become clear to all and sundry that the farmers’ unions are not agitating to arrive at any viable solution. Whenever a solution appeared in sight, they were quick to raise their demands. Every indication suggests that their foreign friends will not be allowed to fund the misled farmers and so they had better seek a peaceful solution.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
END OF ARTICLE
