To everyone’s surprise, Modi government has decided to repeal three controversial farm laws passed last year. It was a big jolt to both his supporters and his opposition, leaving media fraternity bewildered and opinion writers scratching their heads. With farm laws being repealed, no one knows what to make of it. While Modi’s opponents are celebrating the ‘victory’, his supporters are lamenting. But is it that simple?
Supporters of farmers’ protest have now assumed that Narendra Modi can be brought down with sheer force of protests and fierce online media campaigns. On surface level, it seems to be the case. Even his ardent supporters can’t deny this to be the case. While some of his supporters are angry with what they call ‘appeasement politics’ ahead of Punjab polls, others can see the bigger picture at play here.
Although it’ll be foolish to think that repealing farm laws has nothing to do with Punjab polls, but there’s more to it. The issue of Khalistan has been largely underplayed by leftist media, portraying it as just a ‘BJP IT cell propaganda’, but the reality is far different than what leftist media wants you to think. In 2019, centre banned ‘Sikhs for Justice’ – a Pro Khalistani organization prominently functional in US and Canada. As it is not banned in western countries, the organization has free pass to carry out anti-Indian activities on foreign soil.
It gives them immense power which terrorist organizations lack: legitimacy. Their modus operandi is simple – point out so called human rights violations by centre against farmers, gain sympathy on global scale and use the support of farmers to push for Khalistan– a country of Sikhs. Recently, SFJ (Sikhs for Justice) held ‘Khalistan referendum 2020’ in UK to decide whether some part of north-western India to be carved out to create a separate nation. It also released a map of supposed future country, but surprisingly left out important Sikh sites that are in present day Pakistan like Kartarpur and Nankana sahib among others while adding cities like Jodhpur and Kota in their map along with many other Indian cities that have no relation to Sikhism.
Former Punjab CM captain Amrinder Singh also wrote a letter to PM Modi, urging him ‘to resume talks with farmers as extremists and Pro-Khalistani groups are trying to exploit the ongoing farmers’ protest.’ There are many incidents to prove the existence and influence of Khalistani elements in farmers’ protest. Whether it’s ‘farmers’ burning Indian flag abroad to protest against centre, or having posters of Bhindranwale – a person who didn’t fight for a separate Khalistan, but was okay with having a separate country if it is gifted, and use him as a poster boy for Khalistani movement. These events proves Khalistani influence beyond any reasonable doubt.
Now the real question is ‘how deep is the influence of Khalistani groups?’ Probably more than what we had assumed. Farmers’ protest was a breeding ground to radicalize and recruit Sikh youths to demand a separate nation based on religion. The situation was deteriorating further with each passing day. The choice before Narendra Modi was to either give up development of farmers which they were fiercely opposing, or hold on to farm laws which have been stayed by Supreme Court. On superficial level, the issue was of pride : the magnificent Narendra Modi who ‘never backed down’ from taking tough decisions and sticking to it no matter what. And the pride of Farmers who are historically known to have struggled against brutal governments and still emerged victorious. Between the two fighting forces, the third force – Khalistan was winning. So it’s no use for Modi to fight a lose-lose situation against his dear farmers.
