Mowing down protest

This newspaper is not given to tilting at windmills or raging against every red rag of political hooliganism that power-drunk rulers throw at us. But the video clip that has surfaced from Lakhimpur Kheri, and has been shared on Twitter by Opposition parties, activists and even a ruling party MP, makes it imperative for us to tell the Union government: “Stop, enough is enough.” The 30-second video in slow motion shows a group of protesting farmers peacefully walking away when a speeding vehicle from behind ploughs into the crowd, mowing down several men, only to be followed by another SUV in a mad rush in what looks like an attempt to crush the fallen ones under its wheels. The killer vehicles and those driving them allegedly belonged to the convoy of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra. If these are our representatives and their henchmen, we have had enough. We do not need them.

While the almighty government has the monopoly of wisdom on what laws suit the nation, the voters in turn have every right to protest against those they find anathema; this contract between the government and the people distinguishes subjects from citizens. We cannot surrender our constitutional rights to goons in the guise of ministers. A mere monetary compensation and two cross-FIRs do not do justice to the memory of Lovepreet Singh, Nachhatar Singh, Daljeet Singh and Gurvinder Singh, the farmers who were allegedly run over by the minister’s vehicles, and journalist Raman Kashyap, whose corpse had bullet holes on the chest and arms. Three others termed BJP supporters have also died, probably lynched by the aggrieved mob. The minister should step down or be removed without further delay, and all those involved in this ghastly incident should be arrested forthwith and be made to stand trial.

If the government proves that the video clip is fake, it has every reason to take action against those who doctored it and circulated it. And, of course, the Prime Minister can reinstate the minister if he gets exonerated after a fair trial. But till then, his place is in the Lakhimpur Kheri police station, not the home ministry. At times, even legitimate criticism of governments is construed as sedition. Ita fiat esto; we remain yours seditiously.