India has for long championed itself as the worlds largest democracy and through most of the past eight decades it has tried to frame and shape its democratic principles. From the outside many of us in Asia have looked at Indian democracy with a blend of admiration ( Indira Ghandi’s removal) and at times shock (the revocation of Kashmiri state status) but we felt with its strong press and an independent judicial system India would continue to stumble along on the road of democracy, not a perfect road but not a washed out road. Much like the polarisation we have seen the world over India in the past decade or so has embraced a political flavour which is disturbing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moulded his BJP party in the shape of a nationalist (mainly Hindu) agenda and strong arm tactics within the party resulting in a direction to India’s democracy that can only be concerning to many.
When Modi’s government changed the special status of Indian held Kashmir and revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution the protests were limited to Indian held Kashmir. A total lockdown of Kashmir, arrests of its leaders and various other draconian measures were largely ignored by the world community. India’s proactive diplomatic presence and a general apathy towards the Kashmiri people assured Modi’s government that it’s Kashmir strategy will not be opposed on the world scene.
Modi, assured of his parliamentary majority and his iron fist control on his party then moved to pass three new Farm Laws which have resulted in the largest protests ever witnessed. The new laws are seen by Indian farmers, mostly from the Punjab and Haryana, as handing over the purchasing of agricultural produce to private corporates, who the farmers feel will manipulate the prices to drive farmers into bankruptcy. With small holdings most farmers have been struggling for decades and their only assurance of survival has been the minimum price mechanism which the Modi government wants to abolish.
Through 250 years of Indian history rural India has been organised through ‘panchayats’, village based cooperatives, and this system has been vital in how farmers have lobbied for this interests and protected their fragile agricultural economy. While collectively the agricultural economy of India is massive, but given the fragmented land holdings individual farmers have always felt at the bottom of the ladder. However, the panchayat system gave them some comfort and protection. The fact that the Modi government did not consult with the panchayats and simply rammed the new laws through parliament not only shows their arrogance but this confidence that like the Kashmir issue this too will be accepted.
Estimates are that over 250 million people are involved in the protests by the farmers and these protesters have attracted world attention. The Indian government reaction to the protects has been high handed and resulted in over 167 deaths as of this writing. Hundreds of journalists have been arrested and celebrities who have spoken in favour of the farmers threatened with legal action. While it remains a showdown between the government and the protesters Modi’s gambit is that the farmers will eventually tire in their protests and they will return to their villages. Given the depth and breadth of the protests it is more likely this protests will not abate too soon unless the laws are repealed or seriously amended to meet the farmers demands.
On a broader level the treatment of the farmers by the Indian government is shameful and its handling not only of the protests but the journalists and others who support the farmers with their voice is disturbing. Journalists have disappeared and draconian measures are taken every day without any concern for censure. India has reacted to the international condemnation by insisting this is an internal affair. No India cannot aspire to be a regional and world power and when it suits you insist it’s an internal affair. Indian farmers are facing the worst possible hardships and these laws will set the stage for their demise and people have to speak out against the Indian government measures against the farmers. This is India’s moment to do the right thing rather than simply pretend that it’s the world’s largest democracy as it trampled upon 250 million farmers.
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