Today we witness a similar scenario to discredit the democratic mass agitation opposing anti- farmer, worker and anti-democratic legislations brought in to serve the interest s of crony capitalism. Peaceful tractor parade in Delhi as part of the two month old farmers agitation demanding roll back of anti- farmer and ant people farm legislations was truly historic.

Never before in the post independent history hundreds of thousands of tractors paraded in Delhi to celebrate Republic day and register their protest exercising the very fundamental rights - the Constitution guarantees. With the diminishing democratic space, scrapping rights of farmers and workers, withering social fabric, division of families and communities in the name of pseudo Hindutva and nationalism the present mass struggle is nothing but a natural reaction.

The farmers have been carrying on their peaceful struggle for the last two months in the outskirts of Delhi and across demanding roll back of anti farmer farm laws that threaten the livelihoods of crores of rural poor. They have, braved violence of state and have united millions, filled with passion of youth and elderly amidst COVID pandemic to make their voices heard and reclaim their identity as active citizens of the republic. Workers, toilers, youth, women and students came out in millions observed Bharat bandh recently and succeeded in shutting the nation in solidarity with agitating farmers.

The state (including some Union ministers), crony media and RSS and Sangh Pariwar attempted to malign the struggle, create confusion, divisions in the ranks, manufacture violence and chaos. The state and media even called the agitating farmers anti nationals, Khalistnis, agents of some neighbouring foreign countries and tried maximum to malign the democratic non violent farmers agitation. Rocklike unity and drawn ever-increasing allegiance from sections of working people and spectrum of civil societies has forced the relentless Union government to make certain concessions.

This movement, of the people, by the people, and for the people, may also have shown how a united organized mass struggle can pose a counter hegemony and bring a repressive, coercive and autocratic regime to its knees.

Non violence, unity of farmers and people and their determination are the major weapons the agitating farmers have resorted to. Success and Peaceful conduct of Tractor rally on January 26 have shown the world that a counter hegemony is getting mobilized on the streets on the eve of republic day to counter the hegemony and to reclaim the lost working conditions and democratic space.
(IPA Service)