By chhotebhai
Kanpur: This piece is being written in the evening of Republic Day. This morning I had addressed a Flag Hoisting gathering and spoke about democracy in India and the USA, about the farm agitation and the Trump negation of his election.
As a conscientious citizen, not a pseudo desh bhakt, I enjoy watching the annual Republic Day parade in New Delhi. In my morning speech I had spoken about the two parades to be held later that day; the first, the achievement one that I will call the Tank Parade, and the second, the aspirational one, that I will appropriately call the Tractor Parade.
By the time I got to see the Tank Parade the military part was over. I saw a few floats and dances followed by the air show. For once, it did not enthuse me. For all the talk of Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self Dependant India) the aircraft on display were either Russian, American or French! So what were we showcasing?
I found the tableaux insipid, and the commentary even worse. When the tableau of the hearing impaired was going past, the commentator referred to them as speaking body language, instead of sign language. It seemed a hurriedly put together affair. The flair and flamboyance of the prime minister were also conspicuously absent, as also his flashy head gear. This year he wore a more sedate flat turban, and the tension was palpable on his face, as also on that of some of his ministerial colleagues.
The reason soon became obvious, as split screen images began to flash the other parade – the Tractor one. The first images were indeed disturbing, of Nihangs (warrior Sikhs) on horseback, with naked swords. Then followed images of thousands of farmers and their tractors. Next came the physical removal of the police barricades, tear gas, baton charges, minor scuffles, as the incensed farmers broke ranks, and chose to head for the Red Fort; a digression from their assigned route.
When being interviewed some farmers accused what they called the Godi Media of being biased against them. Some TV channels attempted a balanced coverage of the unfolding events, while others chose to question the farmers for not sticking to the designated route. We also saw some tractors aggressively whirling around to put the cops on the defensive. But largely, considering the numbers, their parade was shorn of violence.
They ultimately reached the Red Fort and even hoisted a Sikh religious emblem, the Nishan Sahib, on the flagpole in the forecourt of the Fort. They were subsequently removed by the cops who were now showing much more restraint than earlier.
Thereafter some sanctimonious politicians and news anchors began to condemn the “violence and desecration” of the Red Fort. I found their words shallow, seeking to be politically correct. I did not share their “correctness”.
I was immediately reminded of the infamous Red Fort Trial of 1945, where three colleagues of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose were tried for treason by a British military court. They were condemned to death by hanging. They were General Shahnawaz (a Muslim), Col Prem Sehgal (an agnostic Hindu) and Major Gurbax Singh Dhillon (a Sikh).
However, the nation rose as one to oppose the mock military trial. Sensing the belligerent mood of the nation, the British rulers relented and gave the “offenders” an honorable pardon. I confirmed these events from Comrade Subashini Ali Sehgal ex MP, the daughter of Col Prem Sehgal and Padmavibhushan Capt Lakshmi Sehgal.
Contrast the action of the videshi imperialists with our own deshi political dispensation. The Modi Sarkar was unmoved by thousands of farmers camping for two months in the bitter cold and rain on the capital’s borders. Their tear gas, barricades and water cannons had failed to remove them, neither then, nor today. Over a hundred deaths and growing unrest left the Sarkar unmoved as it basked in the sun of yet another Tank Parade, its show of strength.
The Sarkar seems intoxicated with its own power, and electoral successes, based on emotive religious slogans, blatant misuse of money power, and demonizing “the other”. I am reminded of what sociologists tell us, that violence is the option of those who have nothing to lose. Even a docile deer will use its pointed antlers when brought to bay.
Self-defense or assertion of one’s legitimate rights cannot be called violence, even if there are some off shoots of the same. (In military parlance this is referred to as collateral damage, and moral theologians call it the double effect)
To the contrary, the pride and obstinacy of the Sarkar is the greater violence, unleashed on the agitating farmers. When a dam bursts it sweeps aside everything in its path.
The jury is still out on the Tractor Parade, though there are reports now of a BJP sympathizer had led the breakaway group to the Red Fort, to discredit the farmers. Not improbable.
Now to the fourth T – Trump, who I had referred earlier. His rejection of the election result, and the assault on Capitol Hill, are well documented and bear no repetition. In the light of the Sikh religious symbol being used in the Tractor Parade I am drawing a parallel with the Capitol Hill assault.
There were TV images of Trump supporters who had entered the Senate hall and occupied the Speaker’s podium. What shocked me was their “Halleluiahs.” They were praising Jesus and attributing their success to him! It is no secret that Trump, Bible in hand, had evoked strong religious sentiments from Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals.
What is not so commonly known is that he also had the support of conservative elements in the Catholic Church, including from its bishops. There have been videos of Catholic priests condemning Joe Biden for his liberal views on sexual ethics and abortion, even though he is a devout practicing Catholic. While Pope Francis wrote him a warm letter of encouragement on his election, Archbishop Jose Gomez, the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued him a stern warning. Writing in La Croix International from the Vatican, Robert Mickens described Gomez’s letter as “an iron fist in a velvet glove”!
This is not surprising because, as Mickens says, the American bishops have been opposing Pope Francis’ pastoral reforms, and even used former Nuncio Archbishop Vigano to defame and discredit Pope Francis through his 70-page open letter. In many ways I find that both Indian democracy and the Catholic Church here are far ahead of the US. Where the latter scores over us is in its fiercely independent media, a robust judiciary, and nonexistent bureaucracy.
At Biden’s inauguration the Catholic priest who led the invocation made a pointed reference to Pope Francis, and in his inaugural address Biden quoted St Augustine. This augurs well for his presidency, to heal a fractured post-Trump nation. Incidentally, Joseph (Biden’s actual name) means “the gatherer” in the original Hebrew. So he has his task cut out for him, to gather together those who have been scattered. Coincidentally, Pope Francis has declared 2021 as the year of St Joseph.
In conclusion I recall the words of the Prophet Hosea. “Those who sow the wind, reap the whirlwind” (Hos 8:7). This goes for all, be they politicians, farmers or religious heads.Rather let us have the heart of Jesus who, towards the end of his public life lamented; “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Mat 23:37).