The events of Republic Day are to be condemned and I don’t think anyone will disagree with this. Which is why I find it rather amusing when self-styled ‘nationalists’ go around beating their chests and claiming that they are more patriotic than you just because they are condemning the obvious. But then, sadly, this is a casualty of the times we live in when every word you speak has to be a test of your nationalism.
The point I want to raise is slightly different, but first let me speak to the trolls before I speak to the rational: Yes, I do condemn the vandalism, the storming of the Red Fort, flag hoisting of the Nishan Sahib at a spot where the Tricolour gets sole prominence, the clashes with the Delhi Police which injured as many as 300 of our police personnel and the loss of life of Navneet Singh. I also applaud the way the Delhi Police handled itself. But this is a sentiment that is shared by every right-thinking Indian, minus the self-righteous air of those talking heads we see on TV.
The question remains, was vandalism of the Republic Day carried out by the same farmers who have been peacefully protesting for the last 60 days, braving the bitter cold of the capital’s borders? No way do both the events gel as being carried out by the same brand of leadership. Those who disrupted the tractor parade came armed with an agenda. The farmer leaders had already distanced themselves from Deep Sidhu, the gentleman who allegedly climbed atop the Red Fort to hoist the Nishan Sahib, after he began taking a pro-Khalistan stance in TV debates. Why then would they recruit him for their tractor rally. More importantly as Samir Singh, a political analyst supporting the farmers’ protests, points out: “The protest has never been religious, it is a farmers’ protest, not a Sikh one. Why would they suddenly bring religion into it.” Then it is clear that the one who has brought religion into it is someone who wants to divide the movement on religious lines and create a divide between the various communities that have joined together for the protest.
Hence, I do not believe those who say that this vandalism was inspired by those who were protesting against the farm laws. They are the ones who have lost out the most by the events of the Republic Day, for it has turned public sentiment against them. It has also belittled the 60 days of peaceful and disciplined protests. Why would they throw that all away? Just think of that before you buy the narrative of those chest-thumping nationalists on your TV screens. Also, remember they do not have a copyright on nationalism, you and I are much more genuine in our sentiments and love for our country. For one, we do not want to see it divided, and TRPs be damned.