*WITHDRAWAL OF FARMS ACTS : WHO WON; WHO LOST ?* Part 1
By Brig BL Poonia, VSM (Retd)_
The fight for withdrawal of these Acts was not based on the welfare of farmers, nor on the prosperity of the nation. It had a clear and a concise aim of cutting Modi to size. And for this the entire Opposition joined hands, inspite of all their political and ideological differences. What united them is only one factor : 'The enemy of your enemy is your friend'. This is the only thing in common, they had._
But why does Modi need to be cut to size ? Because he brought a political revolution in the country; the end of 'Khichdi Sarkars' after 30 years. That was a severe jolt and a big slap on the part of all the constituents of 'Khichdi Sarkar', as earlier, everyone could extract his/her pound of flesh by arm-twisting each other. But since Modi came to the scene, he spoiled this well established cosy political arrangement. Not only that, he became the biggest threat to their political survival. Moreover, he passed more than a hundred Bills, including some of the historic ones like the following :_
a. *National Judicial Appointment Commission Act,* to bring-in total transparency. But unfortunately, it was subverted by the Judiciary by declaring it unconstitutional, and thereby ensuring selection of the Judges by the Judges; the only country in the world to do so. Today, the Supreme Court has become another road block in the smooth functioning of the Executive._
b. *Banning of Instant Triple Talaq.*_
c. *Citizenship Amendment Act.*_
d. *Making The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, applicable to individuals too.* Earlier it was meant for the organizations only. That's how Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and the entire Gupkar Gang could be put behind the bars whenever they tried to incite anti-national and pro-Pakistan sentiments._
e. *Repealing of Article 370.*_
f. *The Three Farms Acts.*_
g. And enactment of *'Uniform Civil Code'* is also a part of his election manifesto; a dangerous molotov cocktail for the Opposition._
Combined with this, his impeccable personal integrity, and a track record of corruption-free govt, made him a political threat to reckon with. In fact, he started posing the threat of a political sunami to the beleaguered Opposition. With this kind of momentum, he could again white-wash the Opposition in the next General Elections. Moreover, even in State Assembly Elections, he holds an effective sway over the voters. So the only option left was to cut him to size._
The Opposition leaders, therefore, joined hands and started opposing all the above Bills, tooth and nail. They even resorted to unruly behaviour in the Parliament; the constraints of space precludes the shameful summary description of their immature and unworthy acts.
*WITHDRAWAL OF FARMS ACTS : WHO WON; WHO LOST ?* Part 2._
By Brig BL Poonia, VSM (Retd)
And imagine the kind of people involved in this nefarious game :_
a. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi (both of whom are on Bail on charges of corruption), and Priyanka Gandhi (her husband is also on Bail for money laundering charges). And these very Bills were a part of the Congress Party's election manifesto during the 2019 General Elections. Does politics mean you sacrifice ethics so shamelessly ?_
b. P Chidambaram, who has been to Tihar Jail, along with his worthy son, and an Honourable Member of Parliament, on charges of corruption. And both, having experienced jail, are now on Bail._
c. Lalu Prasad Yadav and sons. Lalu Prasad is already undergoing a 14-year imprisonment for corruption._
d. Akhilesh Yadav's and Mulayam Singh Yadav's cases of disproportionate wealth and property, had already been settled during the Khichdi Sarkar era._
e. Mayawati. Ditto in her case._
f. Arvind Kejriwal, a well known opportunist of the highest order._
g. Navjot Singh Sidhu, another seasoned opportunist, and his party in Punjab._
h. Mamata Banerjee, an arch political rival of Modi, who can't see eye to eye with him._
j. Sharad Pawar, who as the Agriculture Minister under the UPA govt had advocated these very reforms for the benefit of farmers. Now he has taken a 180 degrees U-turn. His only daughter, who is an MP, is one of the prominent farmers of Maharashtra. Yes, in her election affidavit, she clealy mentions so. And he is still outrightly supporting his party's ex Home Minister, Anil Deshmukh, charged for corruption, and who is in jail now. And another minister of his party, Nawab Malik's son and son-in-law have been to jail recently._
k. Sanjay Raut and Uddhav Thackeray, who conveniently switched sides, and joined hands with those, who were their political rivals during the Assembly elections, only to grab power. What better example of political opportunism ?_
l. Assasuddin Owaisi, whose very survival depends on communal polarization. He spits virulent poison against the Hindus at every possible opportunity._
Is there a single leader among them, who doesn't believe in placing the interests of their children or family members before the national interest; or atleast places opportunism before ethics ?_
While opposing all these Bills in a decent and democratic manner was understood, but using anti-national Toolkits involving foreign nationals, inviting pro-Khalistani Movement members to participate, having it financed through Canadian based pro-Khalistani leaders, resorting to human violence and destruction of public property like the Red Fort incident on the Republic Day, blocking the major highways leading to Delhi, and later in UP, not allowing even Army convoys to pass through, illegally establishing farmers camps by occupying the agricultural lands of the bordering villages, misbehaving with the ladies of the neighbouring villages, and resorting to construction activities on public and private lands of individuals, were all shameful acts to say the least._
It simply resulted in snatching away the Fundamental Rights of the common man. Under which Act of the Parliament were they entitled or justified in blocking the free movement of the public, thereby preventing them to earn their daily bread, just because they were in overwhelming numbers, with the title of farmers, and supported by a united Opposition ? Didn't they all, take the entire nation for a ride ?
*WITHDRAWAL OF FARMS ACTS : WHO WON; WHO LOST ?* Part 3._
By Brig BL Poonia, VSM (Retd)_
And see the kind of leadership provided to the Farmers Agitation by a man like Rakesh Tikait. Is he a leader by any stretch of imagination? His father was truly a farmers' leader, who did not allow the use of farmers platform for political purposes. But Rakesh Tikait inherited the appointment, not based on his merit but purely on dynastic inheritance, on his father's death. He was a Constable in Delhi Police, who tried to encash this opportunity to contest elections from UP with the active support of the Congress. He fought two Assembly, and one Parliament election, but lost his security deposits every time. So much about his popularity among the farmers. Now it suited him as well as the Congress Party to project him as a leader of the farmers. What a dirty game !_
When Modi discovered that the enemies of the nation, both within, as well as outside the country, were actively hand in glove, to take advantage of the situation, he very rightly took a bold and a hard decision to withdraw the three Farms Acts, which were brought in with the intention of giving the country’s farmers more strength and better prices for their crops, apart from more options to sell their produce._
The truth is that these three Farms Acts were for improving the quality of life and future of the farmers. While these Acts would have almost doubled the income of ordinary farmers, the middlemen-politician-nexus stood to lose. And they jointly held the poor farmers to ransom. They were too simple to understand the benefits of these Acts, and this nexus misguided them by using complicated terminologies like MSP etc, of which only 6 % prosperous farmers, mainly concentrated in Punjab and Haryana were the beneficiaries. To achieve their aims they used the poor farmers as frontline protestors, and tried to achieve their larger aim of retaining the age-old Mandi system, and cutting Modi to size._
And now they want to celebrate their unethical victory, where the biggest loser has been an ordinary farmer. And they have no shame in celebrating this, as a victory of farmers. This was a corrupt and unethical game, where they fooled the poor farmer. There are two ways to fool, one is to make people believe what isn't true, and the other is to refuse to believe what is true. They applied both the techniques successfully in fooling the farmers. Now Modi has very rightly announced that he would convene a committee of experts to include economits, central govt as well as state govt political representatives, and representatives of farmers to decide on the modalities of MSP and other related issues._
If the Farmers Protest was genuine, why did they not appear before the Committee of Experts convened by the Supreme Court, to put forward their grievances, after the Supreme Court suspended the three Farms Acts, whereas the Modi govt representatives did attend. The Supreme Court should have been fair enough to pronounce the cunningness of the leaders of the Farmers Protest and the political parties supporting them. They didn't; but why ? They were the ones who permitted them to take out a tractor rally in Delhi in protest of the Farms Acts, but took no notice of the mayhem created by them at the Red Fort, including the beating of the policemen, and destruction of public property worth crores of rupees, and even spoiling the image of the country.
*WITHDRAWAL OF FARMS ACTS : WHO WON; WHO LOST ?* Part 4.
By Brig BL Poonia, VSM (Retd)_
The farmers leaders misused the National Flag by wrapping a farmer's dead body, who died because of rash driving of a tractor on the Republic Day, near the Red Fort. His act of rash driving was in no way attributable to the national cause. In fact, it endangered the lives of innocent citizens, and he deserved to be punished. They misused every possible thing, but the Supreme Court closed its eyes. Why couldn't they take a suo moto cognizance of all their illegal activities? It gave an impression that the Supreme Court was being extra lenient to their misdeeds, just because they called themselves farmers. It was the most shocking thing for the nation; if the highest court of justice closes its eyes; where does the poor public go ?_
The Opposition may feel that they have won the battle. But they have not; they have rather lost a war. Wisdom can't be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart, always sounds foolishness to the cunning lot. Knowledge can be communicated but not wisdom. They have cheated the farmers for their narrow selfish gains. But is the game over ? No; now the public of India needs to teach them a lesson in all the forthcoming elections. Or else, they will continue to destroy the larger interests of the public at every possible opportunity._
If the Opposition could oppose all the above historical Bills, enacted by the Parliament during the Modi govt's tenure, tooth and nail, which were outrightly in the national interest, what can we accept from them ? Has the nation forgotten the Shaheen Bagh conspiracy, resulting in so many deaths of innocent citizens, nation-wide communal riots, and destruction of public property ? Wasn't it Mrs Sonia Gandhi who gave a call to the Muslims to come out and protest, saying "Yeh aar-paar ki ladai hai" ? Was she punished for inciting communal violence? No. A politician can get away with a clean chit, even after organizing the loss of precious lives._
Well, if that be so, we need to wake up, before they ruin the future of the nation by spoiling the secular fabric of the country. Remember, the 'Freedom of Expression' does not include the 'Freedom to Fool the Farmers', and the 'Freedom to Take the Nation for a Ride'. And now that the Opposition has got the taste of undoing three good Acts enacted by the Parliament, they are bound to flex their muscles more. Mr Assasuddin Owaisi has already said that now he will have the CAA repealed._
But the larger question is, that now onwards, will it be the Parliament that will enact the Bills, or the protestors on the streets, backed by a united but opportunistic Opposition, who will decide the future of the nation ? In fact, it's you and me, who have to decide; and the choice open._
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