If you are a believer in Constitution and legitimate processes, then the manner in which the Centre pushed the #FarmLaws & handled the #FarmersProstests should leave you distressed.
First, Centre brings these laws as Ordinances on subjects which are apparently in state list, through a colorable use of concurrent list. Principle of federalism negated, at least in spirit, if not in letter.
Then, bills are passed in Parliament without effective discussions.
No one can say for sure if the bills were actually passed in vote in Rajya Sabha. The whole process was brazenly dubious. The live telecast was stopped amid protests. Really shameful events.
So, lawful processes to address dissent undermined.
#FarmersProtest
#FarmLaws
Then some farm groups approach the Supreme Court raising some pertinent questions on constitutionality. Instead of considering legality, court ventures into political thicket by attempting mediation, that too with a hand-picked committee having only members supporting #FarmLaws .
When the farmers started protests on Nov 26, they were met with brute police force. All sorts of dirty tricks were played. State/corporate media was used to vilify them as terrorists. Some pundits meanwhile commented "too much democracy".
#FarmersProtest
When all democratic institutions, Executive/Parliament/Judiciary/Media, fail to listen to their grievances, do they have any means other than to take to streets. Protests are messy. It is to avoid such situations we have constitutional process. But when they fail, what happens?
Yes, there is violence in these developments. That is not just someone vandalizing a bus or some hot-headed dude putting a flag on a pole in Red Fort. There is a bigger systematic state violence here. Every instance of subversion of due process in making #FarmLaws was violence.
It was violence when the Attorney General casually submitted in the court that there were Khalistanis in protests without caring to support it with affidavit. It was violence when NIA notices were sent to farm leaders.
#FarmersProtest
#FarmersProstests
It was violence when police unleashed brutal lathi blows on unarmed protesters.
If your conscience did not feel troubled at these instances, and you are outraging only at some excesses of protesters, then you are failing to see the whole picture.
#FarmersProtest
#TractorRally
A group of people, when they are the receiving end of systemic state violence and when they feel abandoned by institutions meant to uphold democracy, might react in a way which may not seem sanitized to us, who might be sitting in zones of comfort and privilege.
#TractorRally
Such outbursts of a day do not discredit their movement, and do not invalidate their grievances.
P.S. - 67 farmers have reportedly died during the protests since November 26.
One protester lost life during the #tractorParade
#FarmersProtest
#FarmersProstests
