The Red Fort siege blew the mask of disguise off the farmers protests into smithereens

Red Fort was under siege; armed protestors marched in and hoisted Sikh flag from the very mast used by   Prime Ministers to unfurls Tiranga on the eve of every Independence Day. Desecration of the national flag on a day as sacrosanct as the Republic Day has left the nation aghast. While violent mobs unleashed mayhem, anarchy at the historic national monument, people of the country watched helplessly.

Even before the nation could savour the much-awaited Republic Day parade that included a display of the cache of indigenous weaponry, march by the Bangladeshi contingent, the Rafale flyby and the cultural extravaganza, reports of the planned tractor rally going amok began to pour in. In violation of the 36 points which were in principle agreed upon by the farmers organisations, tractors began to break the barricades. The protestors deviated from the original plan and resorted to unprecedented violence. Around 200 artists who performed at the Republic Day were holed up in the Red Fort listlessly witnessed the rampage before police could rescue them from the mobsters.

Brandishing arms, vandalising public property and police stations, the protestors have brazenly unleashed anarchy. At several places, police were outnumbered by the protestors and tractors were deliberately run into them. The chaotic scenes and fierce stone pelting removed every iota of doubt about the legitimate intentions of the protestors. But the Police exercised extreme restraint as use of force by the state would have provided the so- called protestors the much-needed political mileage to advance their movement.

Orgy of the violence which has descended on the national capital reminded the entire country of the February 2020, North- East Delhi riots. Eventually, the common harbinger of the two events that ravaged the capital city have been the ‘so called peaceful protests’. In less than a year, two peaceful protests that held the capital to ransom have snowballed into riots causing grave threat to safety and security of the people. Incidentally, with the stalwarts and the protagonists of these protests being the same, dissent in the form of peaceful protests is now being viewed with suspicion.

People are now questioning the naivete of authorities in granting permission to a tractor rally on a Republic Day and the prudence of the Supreme Court, in overruling the genuine concerns of the Attorney General pertaining to infiltration of the protests by anti-social elements. Like the much-touted peaceful protest, Shaheen Bagh, which has become a front for the extremists, radical groups and the secessionists, the current episode of peaceful protests also brought the capital to its knees. The farmers protests brought economic activity to grinding halt resulting in losses of Rs 3500 crore per day received the needed propaganda support from the dishonest media which amplified the fake news.

Alleging the government to be majoritarian and accusing it to be resolute, farmers organisations levelled untenable charges against the government despite government numerous outreach efforts and eleven rounds of meetings.  In response to the legitimate concerns raised by the farmers, government made relevant amendments. Government even accepted Supreme Court’s verdict of staying the implementation of the farm laws until further order and agreed to the proposal of constituting a team of four experts to break the dead-lock. Bending over backwards, government offered to suspend the laws for eighteen months. But Farmers organisations rejected the expert committee proposal, suspension of laws and refused to budge for anything less than the total repeal of the farm laws.

Bargaining from a maximalist position, farmers indeed remained adamant and blatantly rejected a middle path. Under the guise of the protest, farmers vandalised the telecom infrastructure across the state of Punjab. State Government’s pliant approach and dearth of stringent punishment emboldened them. Touted as game changer, akin to second green revolution, despite the firm endorsement from economists, farmers organisations, firmly rejected the new laws.

India’s opposition when in power, supported them, fearing backlash failed to legislate the new farm laws. But now, unable to trounce the ruling party electorally, inundated by ‘un-electables’, co-opted these protests to extract political revenge. Debased by repeated electoral drubbing, rudderless political parties began using these protestors as tools to create unrest in the country to advance their agenda. Though Expert committee reports indicated that mere 6% of farmers are beneficiaries of MSPs labelling the agriculture laws as anti-farmers, opposition parties ran a massive subversive campaign. Political desperation was written all over the colossal U-turn of major opposition parties.

Enamoured by this overwhelming support, protestors dug in their heels in the capital. Ironically, despite the reports and concerns raised by the intelligence agencies, farmers were allowed to hold the tractor rally. Red Fort was breached.

The template and course of action of peaceful protests is becoming more predictable now. Given the precarious state of law & order situation, it is expected that government learns from the past experiences. Previously, by giving long rope to protestors and precluding use of force, intelligence agencies uncovered external financial sources and extricated the intricate web of the protestors and subsequently exposed the malevolent intentions of the protestors. The government has come clean.

Acting at the behest of the vested interests, as expected, protestors in the past and now have brazened it out and unravelled themselves completely. With this the hypocrisy, double-speak of the cabal, the hand maiden of the break India forces has been completely shattered. In this long winding process the government has put law and order machinery under extreme rigour. Outnumbered and over powered, forced to exercise restraint, Police and common man are finding themselves at the receiving end.

Peaceful protests by nature are derailing the local governance machinery and consequently people are enduring a gruelling ordeal. They are disenchanted by the repeated episodes of trials and tribulations and growing weary of government’s apathy and inaction.

It is no secret that civil societies, break-India forces, radicals are taking cover of protestors to disrupt the country and derail government programs. At this juncture, faced with the daunting challenge of resurrecting the COVID-hit economy, can government afford to reinvent the wheel and adopt a ham-handed approach towards repeat protest episodes which is in contravention to its development agenda?

With a reputation of inflicting a devastating blow to enemies that crossed redlines, government’s dilly-dallying approach to deal internal enemies is rather intriguing. Government’s complacency towards the inimical peaceful protests can be counterproductive to its developmental agenda and eventually dent its trust factor among people (NCR residents).

By hoisting a flag above the Tiranga, protestors breached the dignity and decorum and the founding principles of constitution of India. To begin with, the protests were never about farmers, the unprecedented anarchy manifested by tumultuous tractor has divested protests of any iota of credibility. Political parties distanced themselves and farmers organisations abdicated responsibility after tractor rally went haywire suggesting that they were no one’s protests. Disruption has been the agenda. It is time government stops treating these anti-nationals with kids gloves.

“there is nothing wrong with making mistakes, but one should always make new ones. Repeating mistakes is hallmark of dull consciousness”- Dave Simon.

#saynotopeacefulprotests.

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How Jai Shri Ram Slogan has turned into an object of political contestation?

 

The Ministry of Culture had organised an event at the Victoria Memorial, Kolkata on the eve of 125^th Jayanti of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The event was attended by Prime Minister Modi and Governor Jagdeep Dhankar. By refusing to deliver her address as a mark of protest to the Jai Shri Ram slogans raised at the event, Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has stoked a needless controversy just months ahead of upcoming assembly elections.

Controversy and confrontation aren’t new to mercurial Didi. Greeted with slogans of Jai Shri Ram, a visibly irked Didi refused to speak at the illustrious event celebrated to pay homage to the legendary freedom fighter, whose Jayanti has been declared as Parakram Diwas. A section of political analysts even defended her action concurring that it isn’t a political event to have such slogans. Her intolerance towards the slogan, which is widely used across India and especially more popular in Hindi belt as a greeting, has for the first time earned the ire of the majority community. It is unfortunate that chants of Jai Shri Ram are now identified with a political party. Similarly, anything related to Hindu culture and civilisation are now reduced to one colour- saffron, which in turn is attributed to one party that never openly stood up for the Hindu welfare or causes.

With time while the slogan undoubtedly has accrued larger political connotations and became identified with BJP, among the political circles, it still has a deeper religious significance to it. Most religious events and especially those related to Bhagwan Shri Ram are incomplete without chants of Jai Shri Ram. These chants have been integral to the religious solidarity and harmony.

Didi’s lividity towards the Jai Shri Ram chants is not new. Even in the past Didi lost her cool and she stepped out her vehicle angrily to confront people who chanted Jai Shri Ram, as her motorcade passed through North 24 Parganas district. Reportedly, seven people were detained for chanting the slogans¹ in May 2019.

While her indignation towards the chants of Jai Shri Ram was attributed to her political desperation due to perceived surge of BJP’s presence in the state, her current irate reaction and the illogical dissent at Netaji’s event is an insult to the iconic freedom fighter. Clearly, at a time, when the Centre is often rebuked as being intolerant, the display of gross of intolerance towards mere chants is an unequivocal self-goal by the Bengal CM.

In India, politics and religious have never been clearly delineated. It is no secret that leaders cultivate certain communities and openly pander to them to win elections.  Faith based slogans have become very common at political rallies.

While Jai Shri Ram slogans are a misfit at an event conducted to commemorate Netaji’s Jayanti, given the kind of political ruckus which is becoming more of a pattern in the state, being a confrontationalist, Didi should have held BJP responsible for turning a commemoration event into a political one. However, in what can be considered as a political meltdown, Didi allowed her anger to overpower her which in turn gave an opportunity to political adversaries to expose her ham-handed approach towards the Hindus in the state.

Since 2016, West Bengal administration has become increasingly hostile towards Hindus denying them permissions to celebrate Rama Navami, curtailing Durga Puja celebrations at places and even curtailing the traditional Saraswati pooja celebrations in schools. Local administration which inveterately bends over backwards to serve the administration and under the pressure from the local Muslim communities has been denying permission to organise Durga Puja in some places. On the contrary, religious events of Muslims never encountered any such restrictions.

Didi’s high-handedness and blatant appeasement presented perfect occasion for BJP to make political gains. BJP started organising Ram Navami celebrations across the state. But the state administration began obstructing these processions and objected to carrying of religious symbols like tridents. This often led to scuffles and clashes in the state. In the process, the chants of Jai Shri Ram have become very popular among the people. Eventually in this competitive political appeasement, Bhagwan Ram and Jai Shri Ram are now identified with a certain political party.

Slowly but steadily, these chants now represent growing dissent and unhappiness with the ruling party in the state, and started acquiring political overtone. Increasingly, the chants have now become a war cry of people against the authoritarian administration of the state.

Gauging the ever-growing popularity of the Ram Navami across the state, even the TMC leaders began organising peaceful processions. But that was too late. TMC failed to make any gains with its new approach. Subsequently, Didi began to hit back at BJP saying, “People here have been worshipping Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga and Kali for ages. Here is a party that wants us to worship a particular God” ² in an oblique reference to BJP’s state wide Ram Navami celebrations.

Meanwhile, with the remarks dubbing “Jai Shri Ram” slogan as alien to people of Bengal, the slogan and even the Ram Navami celebrations have unfortunately become an appeasement handle. In its political anxiety, political dispensation in the state deemed the worshippers of Bhagwan Ram and the slogan as an “outside influence”.

The escalating identity politics, together with unabated exodus of TMC leaders has unsettled Didi. Certainly, while the Jai Shri Ram slogans are clearly out of place and context, Didi’s furious reaction at a pan-Indian event underscored her intolerance towards the chant and her irreverence towards the PM. By reducing the event to a political slugfest between BJP vs TMC, Didi has taken the sheen out the well-intentioned tribute to Netaji.

Now, the million-dollar question is- what would have been Didi’s reaction to other faith-based chants?

 

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Capitol Hill Protests: America’s worst nightmare comes back haunting

 Unprecedented scenes of chaos, confusion at the Capitol Hill tore apart the carefully nurtured reputation of the United States of America as an epitome of democracy. ‘Brazen anarchy’, as some media agencies described was witnessed at a time when Congress was conducting the certification of electoral process. Gunshots, violence and evacuations at the Capitol Hill and the emergent pandemonium reminded people of 9/11, alluded the police.

Protestors were seen occupying the Office of the Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Police had to be rushed in to evacuate the legislators. Even Vice President Mike Pence who eventually broke up with President Trump was placed in lockdown. Incidents of panic and disruption has irrevocably tarnished the oldest democracy of the World.  While strict curfew has been imposed with immediate effect and 52 people were detained, the incident at the time of writing this article led to four deaths. American lawmakers termed this as insurrection and called it a black day. World leaders expressed shock over storming of Capitol Hill and urged for peaceful transfer of power.

Political analysts contend that Capitol Hill protests are a consequence of Trump’s address to his supporters, where he egged on the crowd, “you will never take back our country with weakness”. Liz Cheney, Republican from Wyoming, told Fox News, “The President incited the mob. The President addressed the mob. He lit the fire”¹. Agencies even reported that after disparaging Mike Pence, Trump watched the unfoldment of the ugly protests at the Capitol Hill.

Unequivocally, while the glaring security lapses despite numerous hints of a looming mutiny is the outright culprit for situation slipping out of control. The unending trail of challenges, petition in court for the audit of election results in the disputed states have raised doubts about the veracity and credibility of the election process in America. Every Presidential election in America ends with claims and counter claims of massive election frauds.  This is not new. In 2016, the election results were greeted with “Not My President” protests. But it is unfortunate that being the most technologically advanced nation, America has failed to evolve a fool proof and authentic election process that can annihilate distrust among the public.

Peaceful transition of power has been the hallmark of a vibrant democracy. More so, after a deeply divided, abusive and highly contested elections, it becomes indispensable. Being the oldest democracy, America has set template for other democracies to emulate. Foisting itself on a moral high ground for eons, America has lectured the World on democracy. Pertinently, all the actions of the oldest democracy have become matter of great interest.

Capitol Hill protests have totally unravelled the façade of American democracy. The unfathomable hypocrisy which is coming back to America and hitting it very hard. In summer, the Left liberals remained silent when the BLM protestors indulged in episodes of violence, arson, ransacking and unabated loot. They have endorsed the violence and rioting to overthrow Trump. Incidentally, the Liberal Lefts occupied Capitol Hill in Seattle Neighbourhood in Summer and prevented the entry of Police calling it an autonomous zone. This event led to death of one person and the perpetrators got away with the murder. Now, replicating the same template and taking it one step further the far-right now laid siege to Capitol Hill. Leftists supported the disruption with their favourite cliché of “respect for dissent”.

Under the cloak of protecting democracy this entitled class lent support to such movements across the World. Their inalienable approval to any and every protest against the establishment made the slogans, “Gandhians with Guns; Dissent is safety valve of democracy”, progressive buzz words in India. Authorizing violence as be all and end all of all the problems, the Liberals have encouraged mobocracy.

Ironically, by lending credence to even to the illogical theories of “good terrorist and bad terrorist”, they have eventually rolled out the new paradigm of “good anarchy and bad anarchy” as well. Hence, when the exemplars of such ideology cringe about the Capitol Hill protests their unfathomable hypocrisy stands exposed.

Interestingly, even the media narrative of justifying the brazen loot under the banner of BLM as dissenters to labelling the Capitol Hill protestors as “domestic terrorists”, the entire liberal cabal has revealed its double standards. Hypocrisy of the Leftists and Antifa has no parallels this time with their own logic coming back to hit them hard.

For decades, India has been favourite whipping boy of Progressive Americans. Even now, while they outrightly denounce and condemn the protestors siege of Capitol Hill which indeed, is the most despicable act, they are standing shoulder to shoulder with Farmers protesting in India’s capital city. By approving the acts of dissent that are now emboldening the disruptive forces, whose acts are tantamount to treason.

Similar to Capitol Hill, New Delhi is the seat of power and any security lapse with protestors laying siege can be a serious threat national security. Notwithstanding, these consequences, the Progressives in the past supported the Shaheen Bagh attack and by extension, replicated similar move during the Farmers Protest in India’s Capital City.

Capitol Hill protest should thus be a wakeup call to the Left Liberals who have dubious agenda and buoy up selective outrage. Instructively, for all the infamy heaped on India, democratic functioning and more so the electoral process is robust, elections are largely violence-free and is characterised by a peaceful transition of power (barring 1975 emergency).

Reflecting on the protests, President-Elect Joe Biden said, “Let me be very clear, the scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect the true America. This is not dissent, its disorder, it’s chaos and it borders on sedition and it must end now”. Clearly, the great legacy of the US can’t be reduced to or representative of this episodic violence. Similarly, the disparaging remarks on India based on few unfortunate incidents is untenable. By extension, even the farmers protest in India’s capital too border on sedition and incoming US administration is best advised to reconsider its support to all and sundry protests.

Joe Biden has a big task ahead, the first and foremost being healing the wounds of political hostilities, bringing people together and leading them as single unit. Fresh reports at the time of writing this article indicate that Congress has officially certified Biden’s victory and that Trump has pledged a peaceful transition.

In the meanwhile, while America is wrangling with what qualifies to be a political coup, Emperor Xi is advancing Pax-Sinica. Lastly, Capitol Hill protests underscore the quintessential need for building robust institutions to nurture the democratic ethos.

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EU gifts a strategic victory to China with Comprehensive Investment Agreement (CIA)

Even as countries are reeling under the double whammy of recurrent resurgent cycles of pandemic outbreak and surging economic recession, the EU on December 30^th has announced in principle reaching a Comprehensive Investment Agreement (CIA) with China. The European countries are the ones worst hit by the pandemic and the announcement on the CIA coming on the day when Germany registered record number of infections and mortality has raised many eyebrows.

A year after the World was plagued up by the Chinese Wuhan virus, China seems to have emerged much stronger. After sealing the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), the largest trade agreement in October 2020, an investment treaty with the EU has not only powered Beijing’s economic ambitions but also gave wings to the Middle Kingdom’s geopolitical ambitions. Notwithstanding the mayhem unleashed by the Wuhan pandemic, instead of seeking retributions for its complicity in handling the virus outbreak, the EU has handed over a strategic diplomatic victory to Beijing.

Welcoming the agreement, which concluded after seven years of talks and 35 rounds of negotiations, The Global Times, the mouth piece of CCP hailed the development with its characteristic cliché- “win-win cooperation” and termed it as “New Year Gift from China and the EU to the whole World”¹.

Throttling the growing chorus of the decoupling trade and investment from Middle Kingdom known for weaponizing them, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council, Charles Michel declared, “this agreement is of major economic significance and also binds parties into value-based investment relationship grounded in sustainable development principles”².  Ursula von der tweeted that the agreement will, “uphold our interests” and “promotes core values”³.

In reality, the agreement undermines the virtues of value-based investments and barely comprehends with the principles of sustainable development. It is no secret that foreign companies running business in China are forced to transfer technology and compete against highly subsidised Middle Kingdom’s State-Owned Enterprises of (SOE) in global markets. Disregarding rules of law, disrespecting the intellectual property rights, China has been practising discriminatory, distortive business disgorgement practices and dominating the World trade.

Since its accession to the WTO in 2000, China has scuppered all the agreements of principled economic investments and continued to lunge ahead by restricting market access to countries. Devoid of transparency and reciprocity, China’s monopolistic predatory trade practices have become security threat.  As per China’s National Intelligence Law, Chinese companies are obligated to double up as intelligence gatherers. In 21^st century, data is the new gold and a free access to Chinese entities will have potential security implications.

Given the burgeoning no-trust factor and the bullying tactics nations are trying to limit interdependence with China. Beijing is facing harsher criticism for its impetuous bullying actions against Australia and Norway, aggressive standoff with India, Vietnam, intimidatory expansionism in South China Sea and repeated incursions across the Taiwan Straits and Senkaku islands. EU’s decision of concluding the CIA at this juncture thus raised valid doubts about its intentions.

The timing of the deal has raised many hackles. In September 2020, Germany unveiled new guidelines of its Indo-Pacific Policy and underscored the need to protect the seas through the legally binding Code of Conduct enunciated by ASEAN countries. Even France and the Netherlands evinced strong interest in making Indo-Pacific, a part of their foreign policy. These nations heaped criticism on China for serious human rights abuse of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang and objected to slave labour.

Amid this scenario, the EU’s sudden turn around and announcement just a day before expiry of Germany’s six-month tenure as EU president brought back to focus Angela Merkel’s growing disenchantment with the US. Merkel no longer considers the US as a reliable ally. Her disastrous encounters with President Trump at NATO and G-7 summit have only reinforced her views. In her speeches at Munich Security Conference in 2019 and America Academy 2020, she spoke at length about the geopolitical vulnerabilities of Germany and said, “If you look at what we Europeans have on our doorstep, it looks quite challenging. We have Russia and right after that China. China and Russia are moving closer”⁴. Receiving American prize at Berlin she added, “but I plead for us not to fall into a new bipolarity, but rather that we try, with the results and experiences we have, to include a country like China in multilateralism and treat it at least equally”⁵.

While anxiety about European vulnerabilities is understandable, Merkel stand on China has been clear. Geopolitics and fear of bipolar World scenario aside, Merkel’s China pull is inextricably linked to the economic interests of German automakers whose dependency on China has increased immensely. Despite the episodes of forced technology transfer and calls for decoupling the global supplies, German Automakers who have invested heavily in China are in no mood to pull back. Resisting the pushback from the Trump administration, a week before conclusion of CIS Germany opened door for China’s Huawei to build 5G network⁶.  With no let down in threat of US sanctions over the Airbus-Boeing tiff, France is also miffed with the US.

Germany’s stand towards China has been clear. Though it joined other European countries in condemning China’s threats following Czech delegation visit to Taiwan⁷ and crackdown on Hongkong Pro-democracy activists, imposition of National Security Law, Beijing annexation threats to Taiwan, concerns over China’s acquisition of strategic industries, Germany’s economic interests has trumped its ideological positioning.

Representing EU presidency, Merkel gave final push to negotiations and invited President Macron on board for the videoconference that announced the conclusion of EU-China investment agreement. For singularly steering the deal ignoring the consent of the countries, Spain, Poland, Italy are now publicly voicing their opposition to the agreement. Feeling slighted, these small European nations are now coming down heavily on Germany for failing to bring trans-Atlantic partners on board. Terming it premature, countries lashed out at Franco-German push for ignoring legitimate concerns about the deal.

EU-China irrevocably ripped apart Europe’s image of Paragon of human rights and democratic values and drove a wedge between US and Europe. CIA has unsettled Europe’s ties with the US and opened fissures between EU countries. The investment deal is a major setback to the incoming Biden administration, which hasn’t rolled out a concrete China policy as yet. Notorious for weaponing trade, the aggressive authoritarian regime at the helm in China will inexorably leverage the deal to realise its geopolitical ambitions. China’s punishing sanctions on Australia despite the Free Trade Agreement is a case in point.

Unfortunately, Europe’s deepening economic dependence with an authoritarian China all set to dominant the World, will have consequences for all democratic countries.

 At a time when the new Wuhan virus variant has forced the European countries into a second lockdown, EU’s CIA agreement is perceived as a royal snub to US President Elect Biden who has promised to revive ties with Europe and all its allies. US is EU’s largest diplomatic partner and this investment agreement is bound to complicate matters for the US’s incoming administration.

Even as EU’s contends that it could force China to ratify International Conventions on Labour organisations. Given China’s record of vituperative violations of treaties, EU must surely be living in a wonderland to believe that CAI would bestow it a handle to change Beijing’s ways. Believing China’s integration would lead to its democratization, West welcomed China into WTO. On the contrary, two decades to its WTO membership, the authoritarian China has excelled the art of exploiting the democratic systems and multilateralism to serve its interests.

In the process of asserting its ‘strategic autonomy’, Europe rushed the investment deal and left incoming Biden administration in lurch. Though trans-Atlantic rapprochement is on cards, the deal is bound to create a divide and alter the geopolitical paradigm. In the meanwhile, China will continue to leverage EU-US disagreements and sabotage the China’s threat narrative.

It is a crying shame that despite its grandstanding, Europe, the epicentre of pandemic, failed to hold China accountable for unleashing the Wuhan virus. Instead, it allowed China to walk away with a diplomatic victory and economic gains by sealing a comprehensive investment agreement.  

 

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