Barricades, BSF, Bricks – Not to Stop Goons, But Farmers

Why did the government not initiate talks with farmers to understand their concerns long before the Delhi march?

Why treat farmers like criminals?

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Video Editors: Abhishek Sharma, Prashant Chauhan

Water cannons, tear gas shells, lathi-charge, stone-pelting, sealed borders, heavy BSF and police deployment, potholes and containers to block entry – these were not to stop terrorists or criminals but farmers who were trying to enter the national capital on Constitution Day.

When the farmers who feed the nation, are treated as criminals and stopped from protesting – a right that our Constitution grants us, the nation will be forced to ask – Janab Aise Kaise....

Thousands of protesting farmers from Punjab and Haryana braved tear gas, water cannons and police barricades for a second straight day before being allowed to enter the national capital on Friday, 27 November.

Propped on tractors and trucks, bikes, and many on bicycles and foot, the farmers from six states, including the neighbouring Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan besides Kerala are determined to continue their protests. The farmers are demanding the rollback of the three farm laws that were enacted by the Parliament in September this year.

BIG QUESTIONS

A certain section of the media has been asking, "Who is misleading the farmers? Who is threatening the farmers?" It is the first time that a section of the media is speaking against the farmers. To them we ask:

• Are the country's Muslims and seculars who are protesting against the CAA and NRC misled?
• Are the students who are raising their voice against fike hike in colleges misled?
• Are women who want to exercise their right to love and choose a life partner from another community misled?
• Are the unemployed youth of the country who hit the streets, seeking jobs, misled?

Whether the demands of the farmers are justified or not, they have the right to peacefully protest. Why did the government not initiate talks with them? Why is the government ready for talks now, when things have gone out of hand? Why did the farmers have to endure water cannons in the cold, why did they have to face tear gas shells? Why were they lathi-charged, stopped by force? Why were the nation's farmers vilified?