Farmer Protests vs. a supplicant media: India on the cusp of institutional chaos and anarchy

 

Farmer Protests vs a supplicant media: India on the cusp of institutional chaos and anarchy

 

Farmers vs. Central Government:

 

Recent deadlock between the central government reached some chance of getting resolved after it had

reached a new low when the government chose to deploy water cannons against protesting farmers in

bitter winters.

From “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan” (Hail Soldier, Hail Farmer) , this marks a 360 degree turn in the attitude

towards protests and “Anndaata” or “food provider” farmers.

 

What farmer protest also brings to forefront is how the Indian society is on the cusp of institutional chaos.

 

Power of Fear

 

Fear is powerful, fear consumes and fear forces one to subjugate to the basest of base instincts:

Self-preservation and survival.

 

Question: But what happens when the base instinct itself is challenged?

Answer: First Protests, then demonstrations, then marches and then eventually chaos all around

 

If you subjugate someone for too long, threaten them long enough, even the weakest of the lot will fight

back.

 

Chronology:

When the bills were introduced there were protests by farmers all over Punjab and Haryana.

Then when asked to clarify on some key aspects, the government refused to clarify and passed the bills

in Lok Sabha where it had a majority. This resulted in an ally walking out of the central government

alliance to side with the farmers.

 

Even when the government didn’t have the numbers in Rajya Sabha, they bypassed parliament

and passed the bill through brute force to implement farmer bill.

 

When the farmer delegations wanted to meet the agriculture minister, the minister refused to do so

and that lead to the farmers walking out in a rage

 

Then even the rail and road blockade failed as the farmers were deprived of key essentials.

 

Finally, in desperation, farmers decided to take their protests on road to make themselves heard.

 

Anti-Nationals Or Opposition lead or the truth

 

A recurring theme of this central government has been “anti-national” branding of anyone who opposes

government policies.

Demonetization, a monumental blunder saw almost no protests due to people’s faith in Modi and

his desire to do good.

 

However subsequent decisions have been protested tooth and nail across the country with massive protests

against CAA/ NRC, economic policies, Farmer bill and so on and so forth.

 

BJP lost elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra (they also lost in Karnataka

and Goa but still managed to form a government) and also almost lost Gujarat and Bihar.

 

Opposition is one of the weakest one has ever seen and is incapable of cornering the government.

So, it is unlikely that these farmer protests could have been led by the opposition parties who are mostly

leaderless.

 

Lack of trust

More than anything, these farmer protests are a result of lack of trust in the central government.

People don’t trust what the Modi government has to say. This is in stark contrast to demonetization

where a blunder was covered by trust.

 

And Modi government’s track record of going back on their word is well known (demo, AGR, GST).

So, the farmers are afraid for their livelihood and they are now rebelling against the regime of fear

which has been imposed.

 

Now farmers can’t be branded anti-nationals. So, the next best option is to blame it on opposition.

 

 

Brink of Chaos:

 

Once the trust breaks down everything is mocked and questioned. Supreme Court is no longer as

sacred it used to be. CCI is challenged. CBI is not trusted and police is helpless.

 

Once the trust breaks, then comes the law and order and then finally the government itself.

Trust is broken, law and order is creaking and about to implode.

 

Hopefully, it will never come to the last stage and the government will move to restore law order

and by extension trust in the mechanisms of the Indian system