Attempt to manipulate farmers’ protest

The announcement by Rakesh Tikait, the leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), that the protesting farmers would take out a procession from Red Fort to India Gate on Republic Day and would also hoist the tricolour at Amar Jawan Jyoti is a cause of serious concern. Not only because the announcement shows planned moves which are calculated to create chaos in the country’s capital on Republic Day, similar to what happened just before Donald Trump’s Delhi visit, but also because the plan matches the plan of forces inimical to India, especially the Canada-based outfit – Sikhs For Justice.

SFJ is an openly anti-India outfit and has announced its decision to reward in crores anyone who hoists the Khalistani flag at India Gate on Republic Day.

SFJ’s announcement is an open challenge to India’s integrity and sovereignty. No country and no government will tolerate such threats to its sovereignty.

While it is easy to deal with threats from terror and separatist outfits by use of force and intelligence, the matters get complicated when sections of civil society too get involved and start getting manipulated by those same forces which are inimical to the country’s interest.

No government knows how to deal with its own people bent upon being manipulated and string-controlled by enemies.

If the leaders of farmers decide to do what the Canada-based terror outfits or the neighbouring not-so-friendly countries want them to do, it would be a tricky situation for the central government.

Republic Day is too important an occasion to allow the country’s enemies to create chaos on the roads of nation’s capital city.

And farmers too are own citizens who cannot be dealt with force.

However, it is clear that the leaders of the farmers have fallen for the traps laid out for them and are unable to see the repercussions of doing exactly what the country’s enemies want them to do.

The central government has to tread a cautious path. It has to ensure that the enemies of the nation do not have their way. Also, it has to see that no force is used against protesting farmers.

How the government manages to do this will decide the course of political events for the next few months.