Extremists Hijack Farmers Protests : Intelligence Report
Dated : 12 Dec 2020 (IST)
Last week, over 35 UK MP’s had written to their Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expressing concerns about the fallout between the Indian Government and farmers and the use of force against them.
Though these MPs have so far not shown their concern for terrorist killings in Kashmir or Human Rights Abuse in Afghanistan and Iraq.
They have not urged their Government to vacate Chagos Archipelago, which is still unjustifiably occupied, even after told to do so by the International Court if Justice
The three farm laws enacted in September by the government are major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price. This the Government says is a big misnomer and a false propaganda.
It has been reiterated that Minimum support Price will remain as earlier. Protestors opine that The new Act would do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The Centre has repeatedly asserted that all these safety mechanisms will remain.
Thousands of farmers protesting against the centre’s new Agriculture laws have been camping at multiple border points for two weeks.
While the biggest protest site at present is the Singhu border, thousands of farmers have been protesting at the Tikri border for two weeks now. Since the start of their protest, the farmers have maintained that issues not related to the farmers’ welfare will not be raised from the protest venue. Leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), however, maintained that protesting in support of those who are incarcerated was not political.
However it has been seen that some of those holding demonstration at the Tikri border against the Centre have posters calling for the immediate release of social activists and JNU students – Gautam Navlakha, Sudha Bhardwaj, Varvara Rao, Anand Teltumbde, and Delhi riots-accused Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi.
As per Kisan Union these were put up by unknown persons. According to reports, these posters were put up on Thursday – the 15th day of the farmers’ agitation in the national capital.
The posters ask for ‘justice’ to be delivered. However, it is not clear whether these banners and posters were associated with the farmers or not.
These posters demand the release of writers, intellectuals, rationalists mainly arrested in Elgar Parishad and Delhi Riots case. All have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in different cases.
As per intelligence reports, Ultra-Left leaders and pro extremist elements have hijacked the farmers’ agitation. The sources added that there are credible intelligence inputs to indicate that these elements are planning to instigate the farmers to indulge in violence, arson and damage to public property. They plane to do so in the coming days.
The protestors have threatened to intensify their agitation with a plan to block railway tracks if their demands are not met soon. The announcement came on a day Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said it was not proper to announce the next stage of agitation when talks were continuing and urged the unions to return to the discussion table.
Meanwhile in London, in collaboration with 35 British MPs, an organization Sikh For Justice,banned in India, had initiated the blocking of Indian Commissions and Consulates in Birmingham, London, Vancouver, Toronto, Washington DC.
While London was a flop show, not a single person turned up to block the Indian High Commission in London or support the farmers except about 10-12 people calling for the release of Father Stan Swamy, an 83-year-old priest “unjustly” imprisoned in Mumbai were seen holding placards. The area was heavily barricaded on both sides of the road with a good police presence.
The Birmingham Consulate did attract a handful of people. About thirty cars circled the consulate and 10-12 people shouted pro-Khalistan slogans. Khalistan supporters had threatened to ‘shut down’ the Indian High Commission in London on the 10th of December, International Human Rights Day in the name of farmers – the event turned out to be totally empty.
Many Sikh and Punjabi Community, some in an individual capacity and others representing community organisation have written to the High Commissioner, Her Excellency Ms Gaitri Issar Kumar expressing concern over the recent developments that are polarising the community.
Emphasising the apolitical nature of those writing the letter, they said, “We all are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the negative role of some sections of the Indian media and Indian Government supporting groups have played in the UK and India. Their sole objective has been to portray an incorrect picture and damage the image of the entire hard-working Punjabi diaspora in the UK by labelling us all as Khalistani separatists or Anti-India!”
Distancing themselves from the ethos of those supporting Khalistan the letter further said, “We strongly condemn any groups linked to Khalistani agenda or any political parties who are trying to use farmers protest for their own agendas.”
