There were two highlights of the Republic Day parade this year, carried out in Covid times. The first, of course, was the tableau that showcased the Indian Covid vaccines. It certainly is a matter of great pride for us to have, not one, but two options, albeit one being ‘Made in India’ through and through, and the second being manufactured in India. But, at a time when the entire world is looking to combat the pandemic, it is reassuring to see India being self-sufficient. Yes, one has heard the debates and the controversies surrounding both the vaccines, but by and large, we are also seeing a lot of doctors speaking up in favour of the vaccines now, stating that the after-effects of having Covid are far worse than taking the vaccine. And this is a message that should not be taken lightly, for one is hearing horrid stories about the long-term impacts of Covid, weakness and muscle fatigue being just some of them. Hospitals are now setting up as many long haul Covid care centres as they have centres for combating the disease. That itself should tell us something. What will help, of course, is if our politicians, especially our Prime Minister, take the vaccine as have most other world leaders. Such is Narendra Modi’s credibility that this gesture alone will erase most of the doubts that the scientific community is raising. Don’t forget that when he asked us all to go to our balconies and join him in clapping hands and banging bartans (dishes) to combat Covid, we did. Now, if he takes the vaccine and asks us to follow him, who won’t?
The other highlight of this Republic Day was, of course, the parallel parade of the tractor rally. Without going into the farmers’ laws and the continuing farmers’ protests, I want to focus on the event itself: the sight of citizens becoming a part of the Republic Day celebrations and expressing their views on something they are passionate about. While the sentiment is to be applauded, it can set a precedent for chaos, for what if another interest group wants to join in a protest rally for some other cause tomorrow? Or, if it gets out of hand, as it happened with the march today? The protesting farmers have distanced themselves from the events of the day, the face-offs and clashes with the police, the storming of the Red Fort and the breakdown of the discipline that had so far symbolised the protest. It could be that some groups with vested interests forced their way onto the farmers’ tractor parade with the sinister design of giving it a bad name. This is what Rakesh Tikait and other farmer leaders are claiming and one thing does stand out in all this – what happened during a section of the tractor parade does not gel with the protests so far.
Look at the last 60 days and the way the entire protest was being carried out so as to disrupt the country but with the least amount of discomfort and traffic jams. We did not see this during either the Anna Hazara and Baba Ramdev protests or of the ones opposing the CAA. Somehow, this does not fit in with what happened on 26 January, leading one to believe that perhaps Tikait and Co. have a point. Why give the government and its army of ‘nationalist’ supporters something to beat the farmers with? So far, the protesting farmers have been very careful not to fall into the trap of being labelled `Khalistanis’ and ‘anti-nationals’. Why then would they fall into this trap now? Especially when you take a look at Deep Sidhu, the young man who allegedly raised the Nishan Sahib flag atop the Red Fort. Protest leaders had already distanced themselves from him much earlier when he had revealed a pro-Khalistan slant on TV interviews. This gentleman was also apparently a part of Sunny Deol’s campaign team in the last election. So, why would the farmers task him with any role at all in their movement?
Something certainly went wrong on Republic Day. But are we laying the blame at the right door?
Something certainly went wrong on the Republic Day. But are we laying the blame at the right door?