Farmers Movement Archive

Govt trying to defame farmers’ movement: Arundhati Roy

Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy said on Saturday that the central government was trying to defame the farmers’ protests in the national capital and demanded that the three farm laws passed by the government be withdrawn with immediate effect. Roy was addressing a gathering of 500 persons at the second edition of Elgar Parishad conclave held at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. The conclave was organised by Bhima Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyan, an umbrella organisation of 250 Dalit organisations. “Lakhs of farmers are suffering due to the unjust laws and it has been their demand that the three new laws be withdrawn by the government immediately. The farmers have been peacefully protesting for the past two months, but concerted efforts are being taken by the Centre to defame their agitation,” she said. Roy said, “Though Peshwai has gone, Brahmanwad (privileged section of society controlling all resources) still exists and the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi ruling the country with the Vaishyas (business class) is a part of that strategy. In the coming days, this structure has to be replaced with a democracy where all communities have to be brought on one platform. Fissiparous tendencies are trying to divide the society into casteist lines, and we need to overcome such assaults by unifying all the castes under one umbrella,” she said. Taking a dig at the Centre, Roy said “At a time when the country is going through a crisis during Covid-19 where lakhs of jobs have been lost a few industrialists like Adani and Ambani have become filthy rich at the expense of the central government. The industrialists and the media are functioning according to the directions of PM Modi and nobody dares to speak against the prime minister. On the other hand, PM himself has not gone before the media during the last seven years.” Condemning the action against intellectuals in Bhima Koregaon case, she said, “Today, one has to be careful about every comma and word you speak or write as police cases are lodged at the slightest of pretext.” According to Roy, the corporate media has defamed Elgar Parishad as a hidden hub of terrorists, jihadists and urban Naxals. “Bhima Koregaon is a prime example of colonialism still in progress. Peshwai has gone but Brahmanwad is still there. The Dalit Bahujan political set up faces an existential challenge like never before. Currently, the corporate and political elite control over India is strengthening its hold in the name of Hindu Rashtra. Holding Elgar is the need of the hour for the fight against capitalism, casteist patriarchy,” she said. Former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan said, “The central government which is trying to become fascist is bewakoof (foolish) as it is branding dissenting intellectuals as urban Naxals, addressing JNU students as “Tukde Tukde” gang, Sikhs as Khalistanis and Muslim as jihadis. It is branding them in its narrative in the same vein. Today we have not become citizens. We are still a praja and afraid of the king. We should reject Chanakyan brand of politics. The situation in India today is that the executive is not afraid of the judiciary anymore. No government wants to give its power to the people. They have made citizens as praja and in turn beneficiaries of the government.” He cautioned the activists and said, “We started with Islamic terrorism and later every Muslim became a suspect as a terrorist in the public eye. Similarly, the fight against Brahmanwad must not turn into hatred against Brahmins.” Amongst the others who addressed the gathering were Dr Payal Tadvi’s mother Parveen, journalist Prashant Kanojia, student leader Sharjeel Usmani, former IG SM Mushrif, former high court judge BG Kolse Patil and activist Bunt Singh. The event saw revolutionary songs performed by Samta Kala Manch and other Ambedkarite organisations. Elgar Parishad was held for the first time to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon of 1818. The very next day, violent clashes took place in Bhima Koregaon village which is located 35 km from Pune city. According to the Dalit narrative, the 1818 battle is the victory over casteism as the British army comprising a large contingent of Dalit Mahar soldiers defeated the forces of Peshwas at Bhima Koregaon. Later, “Vijaystambh”, an obelisk structure, was erected by the British at Perne village as a memorial for soldiers killed in the Bhima Koregaon battle on January 1, 1818. The violence during the bi-centenary celebrations of Koregaon Bhima battle, on January 1, 2018, claimed two lives and left several injured when lakhs of Ambedkarites had gathered to pay their tributes in memory of the soldiers who died during the battle. On January 2, 2018, Anita Sawale, a Dalit political worker lodged an FIR against Hindutva leaders Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote at Pimpri police station accusing them of instigating violence at Koregaon Bhima. The case was later transferred to Shikrapur police station which comes under the jurisdiction of Pune rural police. Bhide was not arrested by the police for lack of evidence while Ekbote was arrested on March 14 after his anticipatory bail was rejected by the Supreme Court. He was later released on April 4.

Hindustan Times

31-01-2021

Pune