The borders of Delhi had been a site for unprecedented protest by farmers for the last two months and these peaceful protests were declared as influenced by Khalistan, separatist, terrorist organisations by the mainstream media. It was not surprising but rather interesting how these media houses that were silent on the farmers’ protests so far, have broken their silence and are now wide awake to propagate their false narrative of ‘politically and terror motivated farmers.’ The media is concentrating on footage of visibly Sikh men climbing onto the Redfort in Delhi and hoisting Nishan Sahib, a religious flag of the Sikh community. However, it has been found out that this act was a ruse of the Hindu nationalist ruling party BJP to communalise, malign, and divert the farmers’ movement. A familiar face observed during the happening of the incident was Deep Sidhu of the BJP.
The Narendra Modi led BJP government at the Centre had not anticipated the mammoth backlash by the farmers across the country against its anti-farmer reforms. The three reforms brought in by the Government of India are pro-corporate and anti farmers is the argument of the farmers. The protesting farmers carried out a peaceful tractor parade yesterday celebrating the 72 Republic Day as Kisan Republic Day and followed the outer ring road route that was negotiated with the Delhi police. However, a faction of the protesting farmers had decided to start earlier than the parade was to begin and follow a different route. This faction carried out a peaceful tractor parade by crossing the barricades laid down by the Delhi police. This peaceful protest, in no time, turned violent and surrounded the historic Red Fort followed by the hoisting of the Sikh religious flag. The flag which can be seen flying on top of every gurudwara across the world was called by the propaganda machine as the flag of Khalistan movement.
Also read: It is Not Only Farmers of Haryana and Punjab, Farmers Across the Country are Protesting
Times Now carried a story titled ‘Farmers’ stir: Intel reports suggest ISI gave Rs 5 cr to Babbar…’ however this story was retracted
(read the story here:https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/farmers-stir-intel-reports-suggest-isi-gave-rs-5-cr-to-babbar-khalsa-to-create-trouble/712207).
This shows the way mainstream media is struggling to propagate a parallel narrative.
The team of journalists of Gauri Lankesh News and Naanu Gauri present in the field noted that the heavy police force deployed around the Red Fort did nothing to stop Deep Sidhu and his cohort of fifty to sixty people. On the other hand, police charged against the farmers peacefully protesting in the predetermined route at the Singhu border.
Also read:Peaceful Tractor Parade in Karnataka
Communalisation of any event is the characteristic feature of the BJP which is a political wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Religious symbols are often used to divert one’s attention from the actual issue and instigate religious sentiments of people. This trend has been well documented by a communalisation report of Karnataka by the Alternative Law Forum. According to this report, most of the communal riots that have taken place in Karnataka were instigated by throwing dead pigs in the premises of a mosque or by hoisting green or flag of Pakistan on the temples. What Deep Sindhu and his group of miscreants did, falls under this unsavory tactic of the Sangh Parivar. Delhi police, one must note, has been hand in glove with the BJP and its undemocratic tactics.
