The government of India is making every effort to ensure that the farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws meets met a fate similar to the anti-CAA agitation. When the anti-CAA protest was going on in Shaheen Bagh area of Delhi, the locals of the area were instigated to take on the protesters. Later, it led to a major communal violence in Delhi, causing the death of many people. It ultimately turned the opinion of the people against the protestors, due to which the government could easily crush the movement. In the last two days, a few people claiming to be locals of the area have been protesting against the farmers at Tikri and Singhu border.
On Friday, a tense situation prevailed at the Delhi-Haryana border in Singhu after some people claiming to be ‘locals’ threw stones at the farmers protesting there and even tried to uproot their tents. The sudden violence at the protest site prompted the police to use tear gas shells and the farmers to appeal for calm. At Tikri and Ghazipur border also, the situation remains tense. Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri are entry points to Delhi. The farmers have been protesting in these border areas. In the aftermath of the violence that broke out during a tractor parade by farmers in the national capital on Republic Day, every attempt is being made to portray them as some kind of antisocial elements. This narrative being unleashed by the supporters of the ruling government has the potential to cause more trouble in the country. The farmers are not taking it lightly and it has the potential to further alienate them. The government of India is playing with fire.