Farmers protest is a hot button issue nowadays. Farm bills, Covid-19 and CAA-NRC, are some of the major challenges we have been facing since 2019. Growth and development related issues have been lost amidst these disastrous policies.
The real concerns are education, unemployment, a strong economy and agricultural development which have not been discussed for a long time. As we approach our 72nd Republic Day, it becomes essential to review all the aspects of our so-called democratic republic.
We all are aware of the significance of 26 January — the day the Indian constitution came into effect in 1950. This is not an unknown fact, but the point is, what is the matter with this?
The decline of democracy is a call for recent times. So what significance does Republic Day have now? This time we need to speak up against all the discrimination regarding all uncertainties and useless laws that are causing a lot of distress not only to our kisaan but also to all the people living in India.
What is the definition of a Republic
The word Republic itself means that it is for the people. But of late we have seen a different face of Indian democracy. We are losing the power of democracy.
Just think: do we have an independent judiciary? I don’t think so because it is not working for the welfare of society. A law made should benefit society. But people are suffering, which points out that we live in a country which is not in favour of making or implementing laws for their people but the benefits of certain groups of society.
There is a huge number of farmers all across India protesting to save their land and lives. The new laws and policies are trying to turn them into daily wagers. They have been facing several issues since the lockdown was announced.
Migrant workers who used to work on farms went back home as a consequence of the Covid-19 lockdown. The harvest was spoiled because there were no workers, crops have been destroyed. New laws and policies must be implemented to keep the farmers’ welfare, but instead, policies benefiting some capitalist groups are being forced on them.
I always think that protest for our basic rights has become our destiny. I’m astonished at how much energy we are wasting protesting because of the government’s useless and meaningless laws.
Roti, Kapdha, Mkaan are the very necessities of the common man. If we do not get our basic needs, how can we think about a happy and prosperous future?
Firstly, our citizenship has been snatched by the government through the CAA and NRC. Then the farm bills have come as an attack on our basic right.
Some political powers have targeted several groups of protesters. I remember the slogan of “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”. What kind of respect are our farmers getting due to new farmers law?
All these are alarming signs of the decline of democracy and the Indian republic. We all need to wake up and raise our voice against all these injustice and discrimination. We are not Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, etc., we are sensible Indians who want to grow our country as much as possible. So let’s come together to change the world.
I sum up with the lines of great Urdu poet, Habib Jalib:
“ज़ुल्मत को ज़िया, सरसर को सबा, बंदे को ख़ुदा क्या लिखना
पत्थर को गुहर, दीवार को दर, कर्गस को हुमा क्या लिखना
इक हश्र बपा है घर घर में, दम घुटता है गुंबद-ए-बेदर में
इक शख्स के हाथों मुद्दत से, रुसवा है वतन दुनिया भर में
ऐ दीदा-वरो इस ज़िल्लत को क़िस्मत का लिखा क्या लिखना
ज़ुल्मत को ज़िया, सरसर को सबा, बंदे को ख़ुदा क्या लिखना”
हबीब जालिब