The government's miscalculation
Modi’s placatory words on Friday cannot erase the events of the past year in the minds of the farmers. The government has finally done the right thing — but there has been a great deal of damage along the way.
It started with serious government mismanagement: the farm laws were announced suddenly, and rushed through Parliament. There was no time for debate or discussion. As a result, those in power had no idea of how strongly the farmers felt about the issue, and were unprepared for the level of opposition they faced.
Farmers from around the country came out in protest, but the majority were from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh – both states that will hold key elections early next year. Modi’s decision to revoke the laws seems well-timed to boost votes for the BJP in these two states, but it is unlikely that the anti-government feelings in farming communities will simply disappear.
The Sikh community in particular, who formed the backbone of the protests, has become increasingly alienated from the government – not least because of the way the government itself has treated them over the past year. It went beyond mere name-calling: Modi’s supporters accused the farmers of being part of a Sikh separatist movement, and inundated social media with brutal attacks on “Khalistanis”.
It's a tactic more suited to the playground than Parliament, but it can have serious repercussions. Defenders of human rights are labelled “Marxist terrorists” and locked up; Muslims are called “Jihadis” and told to get out and move to Pakistan. When someone challenges the government, they should be heard. Democracy encourages debate. Yet this kind of name-calling shuts down conversation and divides society.
Modi timed his announcement for Guru Purab, the day the Sikh community celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak. The timing was an offering of reconciliation to a group that now feels even more alienated from the BJP government, but their trust cannot be won back so easily; the protestors are still refusing to go home until Modi’s decision becomes official.
"We have no faith in a verbal promise. Unless we see it in writing that the laws have actually been repealed, we will stay here," said Raj Singh Chaudhary, a 99-year-old protester.