Monthly Archives: August 2018

Nothing is gained any longer from weighing the rights and wrongs of the farm laws; it is time for a breakthrough. The losses to Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and private and government enterprises like the railways are mounting day by painful day. Punjab Government officials claim that the state could have incurred a loss of Rs 4,500 crore during the ongoing agitation. The loss of lives (60, according to certain accounts) among the agitators in the coldest months of this particularly harsh winter; the three who have committed suicide; and those elderly who brave the elements are all pointers to the human suffering involved in the agitation. Equally miserable are those whose lives and livelihoods have been disrupted due to the blockade. Thursday’s tractor march on the Kundli- Manesar-Palwal Expressway forewarnsof Delhi being cut off from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, parts of Himachal Pradesh and western Uttar Pradesh. This is a crisis and the government is badly mistaken if it plans to wear the farmers out. That is no plan.

The meeting of Baba Lakha Singh of Nanaksar Gurdwara with Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar is a welcome move. The Baba says he has been serving the protesters langar at the Delhi border and knew the fellow priest from Karnal of the Nanaksar sect, who took his life to express solidarity with the farmers. The BJP’s Kisan Morcha seeking out the Akal Takht Jathedar, its religious symbolism notwithstanding, is a promising signal because the Centre ought to pause and let the state governments decide whether they want to notify the farm laws and implement them. Agriculture is a state subject and it should remain so. The Centre has a responsibility to give direction and to push the nation towards prosperity by framing model laws on state subjects; but then it should leave it to the people, particularly the state governments, to accept, modify or even reject the proposals.

A well-intentioned proposal will surely get the people’s acceptance in due course of time. Meanwhile, good governance is all about finding solutions, however intractable the situation is. Let there be governance.

New Delhi, January 9

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Saturday said it will pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the farmers’ movement against the Centre’s new agri laws by collecting soil from across the country, especially from towns and villages of farmers who died, and create a map of India with it in the national capital.

Beside paying tribute to the farmers who died, the nationwide campaign, “Ek Mutthi Mitti Shaheddon Ke Naam” has also been launched in support of the farmers’ movement and against the three “black laws” brought by the central government.

“I request everyone to come out and support this campaign and the farmers’ movement. We will be travelling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and collect soil from across the country, especially from villages and hometown of the 60 farmers who have lost their lives during the ongoing agitation,” said Krishna Allavaru, national in-charge of IYC.

“With that soil, we will create a map of India, the one built on the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and sacrifices made by martyrs who laid their lives during the freedom struggle of India,” said Allavaru.

According to the IYC, the campaign is inspired from the historic ‘Dandi March’ where Mahatma Gandhi picked up a fistful of salt from the shore of the Arabian Sea on March 12, 1930 and challenged the British Raj.

The IYC, during the press conference, also launched a song and poster for the campaign.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are staying put at various border points of Delhi since late November last year to protest against recent farm laws of the Centre. — PTI

New Delhi, January 9

Despite their rock-hard determination to sustain the over 40-day-old agitation against the new farm laws, many protesting farmers at Delhi borders are falling prey to anxiety and depression, with a few having allegedly claimed their lives fighting this prolonged battle in biting cold.

Braving the elements and the odds stacked up against them, an overwhelming number of farmers have been protesting at Singhu Border and two other sites since November 26 but their “sedentary lifestyle” at present and “psychological sedimentation” is taking a toll on their physical and mental well-being.

According to NGOs running medical camps at the Singhu Border, the nerve centre of the massive agitation, these farmers are brave in their spirit but some have become vulnerable, facing extreme weather and may be a “sense of waning hope” that have translated into suicides at times.

However, to ease their psychological burden, US-based NGO United Sikhs has started carrying out counselling sessions for farmers at their camp set up on the Haryana side of the protest site at Singhu Border.

“So many farmers have died during this agitation, some of them claimed their own lives. While they may have a strong determination but the extreme cold and pent-up emotions, coupled with sedentary lifestyle at present as they are not going to fields, is making them psychologically vulnerable,” said Sanya Kataria, a clinical psychologist and a volunteer at the camp.

A student of Doctorate in Psychology at a private university in Noida, she has been offering services via the United Sikhs camp in the last few days.

“These farmers have been sitting for over 40 days on a national highway as part of this agitation. While most can withstand the physical rigour and biting cold as they are used to working hard, some of them have fallen prey to anxiety, depression and also hopelessness coupled with lack of self-esteem and feeling of frustration. It is a dangerous combination,” she told PTI.

So problems such as attention deficiency, restlessness, headaches were common symptoms being seen in those who have chosen to visit the camp for counselling, Kataria said.

In some cases, there is an emotional burnout from extreme stress and that is what “we attempt to detect early” through sessions, so that they won’t attempt or even contemplate taking any extreme step, she said.

Asked what kind of activities are done during a counselling session, the medical volunteer said the idea basically was to make them stop thinking about one “negative thought continuously”.

“So we engage them in activities to distract their minds, and create greater mindful awareness, or what we call ‘grounding’. We ask them to name five things they can see around, four things they can touch, three things they can hear, two things they can smell and one thing they can taste,” Kataria said.

Lt Gen SR Ghosh (retd)

Soon after the January 2003 surprise visit to the Indian embassy in Washington DC by three US Presidents and Laura Bush to sign the tsunami condolence book, I received a buzz from the receptionist that some Americans had arrived at the lobby in connection with the tsunami and that they wanted to meet me. The receptionist said they were insistent on only meeting the Military Attache, and no one else. A little annoyed but intrigued too, I walked down from my third floor office to meet the visitors. Two elderly gentlemen got up to shake hands, supporting themselves on their sticks. And what followed were some remarkable stories from the past.

April 1942. America had just entered World War II. China was under tremendous pressure from the invading Japanese forces. Chiang Kai-shek’s military critically needed supplies but there were no viable land or sea supply routes. Burma was also occupied by the Japanese and Allied Forces were hard-pressed to stop this war machine. Aid for the Chinese military would have to go by air from India and it was the Americans who would have to do that. With the threat of interception by Japanese fighter aircraft, there was no other option but to fly a treacherous route over the eastern Himalayan uplift, nicknamed the ‘Hump’ by the American pilots of the Flying Tigers and the Tenth Air Force. This was the China-Burma-India Theatre, also called the “Forgotten Theatre”.

And these two gentlemen, then dashing 25-year-old pilots, became part of this gallant band of brothers who volunteered and flew and saw many comrades never come back.

Flying over the ‘Hump’ through such inhospitable terrain and climate was extremely dangerous, compounded by acute shortages of trained personnel and support equipment. A large number of overloaded planes crashed on takeoff. Exhausted pilots often flew as many as three roundtrips every day. The ‘Hump’ route became known as the “Aluminum Trail” from the number of aircraft that crashed en route. More than 1,000 men and 600 planes were lost during these missions.

I listened in fascinated silence as the two recounted their stories about their daredevil missions, of being attacked by Japanese planes, about India and short leaves at Calcutta and the warmth of the Indian people. So strong were their memories that on return to America, the surviving veterans formed a China-Burma-India Veterans Association to meet every year in various parts of the US and reminisce about their days in India, flying the ‘Hump’ and to honour their dead comrades. With sorrow in their voice, they told me that 2003 would probably be the last time that the Association would meet as those few still alive, now in their late eighties, did not have the health or energy to continue any longer.

As they got up to go, with trembling hands, they took out a cheque for $1,500 — “General, this is all that we have. India has suffered due to the tsunami. We love your country and we want you to send this back for the people of India as a token of our love.”

Emotion overcame me as instead of the wrinkled, weather-beaten faces of these two veterans, I suddenly saw the smiling faces of two young boys in leather jackets, flying helmets and goggles, giving a thumbs-up before climbing into their flying machines. It saddened me immensely. The last of the ‘Hump’ aviators would soon be gone forever.

Tribune News Service

Hisar, January 9

As the farmers’ protest is gaining strength in the region, the farmers’ body here today announced that they would hold a tractor march and celebrate Republic Day at the Mahavir Stadium in Hisar.

The farmer leaders said that they would reach Mahavir Stadium on January 26 after conducting a tractor march that will see the participation of farmers of the district.

Mahavir Stadium is the venue of the official function of the government. Farmer leader Sube Singh Boora maintained that the agitation would continue until the Centre agrees to the demands of farmers to repeal the three farm laws and make MSP and state procurement of crops a legal right.

Tribune News Service

Sonepat, January 9

The farmers’ protest against the three farm laws at Singhu and Tikri borders continued for the 45th day on Saturday. Thousands of people from Punjab and Haryana joined the protest on Saturday.

Artistes — Harbhajan Mann, Jazzy Bains, Kanwar Grewal, Rabbi Shergill, Swara Bhaskar, Aarya Babbar, Harf Cheema, Gurpreet Saini, Jass Bajwa, Noor Chahal, Gurshabad Kular — reached Tikri border to solidarity with the protesting farmers. Punjabi singers and theatre artistes appealed to the protesting farmers to stay peaceful and the victory of the farmers would be for sure.

The farmers paid tribute to Sir Chhotu Ram on his death anniversary and took oath to fight till their last breath for their rights.

Amid bone-chilling cold wave, Singhu border witnessed heavy rush of the farmers today. As per intelligence reports, more than 55,000 farmers were at Singhu border on Saturday.

Firm on their demand of repealing of the three farm laws, the farmers said that they were ready to face all odd situations but would return only after the repealing of these laws.

Sukhbeer Singh of Fatehgarh Singh said that he, along with his friends, came here to support the farmers. He brought his bicycle in his car to roam about freely in the farmers’ camps. Every day, farmers were dying at the Delhi borders. So, the government must accept their demands as soon as possible so that they could go home happily and safely, he added.

Balwinder Singh alias Vicky of Moga, who reached Singhu border along with six friends on bicycles, said that they have come here to support farmers. Earlier, he and his friends had come to Singhu border on motorcycles.

Jogender Singh of Ludhiana said that we have come to Delhi for a decisive battle against the three farm laws and for legal guarantee of MSP. We won’t step back till our demands are fulfilled.