The world has many lessons to learn from the peaceful, non-violent protests of the Farmers Morcha in Delhi. For the last forty years, India has spared no effort to malign the image of the Sikhs and was able to sell its lies and falsehood within and outside India. In one hard response, Nature and God, in the 550th Year of Guru Nanak, has given such a befitting response to the government of India that the rulers are biting their nails and are at their wits’ ends.  Indians in general, Sikh-baiters in particular and the international community is seeing that side of the Sikhs which they had neither read nor thought about.

AS THE FARMERS AND PEOPLE OF PUNJAB -MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, joined wholeheartedly and overwhelmingly by the farmers and people of Haryana, Rajasthan, Western Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra demonstrate the highest levels of tolerance and continue their peaceful protest started on 25 November 2020 as part of the Delhi Challo -Onwards to Delhi march for justice and legitimate rights, the Indian state -the politicians, the executive bureaucracy and the Indian judiciary have by their acts of commission and omission continued with the policy of State Terrorism in its worst forms.

Occupying nearly a 10-kilometre stretch on the Singhu border, nearly a 20-kilometre stretch on the Tikri border and a kilometre or two on the other borders, the peaceful siege of Delhi is virtually complete. The farmers have overcome all obstructions of baton-beating, water-cannons and tear-gas.

The Prime Minister of India -Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues are talking to pseudo-farmers and using the Modi media -not even wrong to call it the state media to obfuscate facts, tell stories of farmers’ gain from the newly enacted laws which the farmers do not want. The Indian judiciary makes cosmetic remarks and postpones the whole thing as they are on a winter vacation.

Fortunately, thanks to the internet, despite efforts by the India state to extend its arm of terrorism to the social media forums, still, farmers, farmers leaders and the conglomerate of 40 farm bodies have been able to successfully counter the propaganda of the Indian state. Every letter received by the farmers has been democratically replied to by the farmer leaders.

Scholars, sportspeople, scientists, retired armed forces personnel have returned their past honours in protest. Except for a few shameless exceptions, singers, actors, movie makers, song-writers, poets stand in solidarity with the protesting farmers, urging again and again to the government to relent and annul the black farm laws and enact a new law supporting minimum support price for 23 farm products.

The Punjabi Diaspora worldwide is at the door of the Indian consulates and embassies protesting and appealing to the government of India to see reason and back out from its promises to crony capitalists who want to take over the already depleted natural resources of the farming community -the backbone of the families and societies of these states.

The Sikh community, in its spirit of Chardikala -Always Ascendance and Sarbat da Bhala -Welfare of all, has set up a temporary abode, calling it the Singh Garh -the fort of the brave at the Singhu border.  It is pretty obvious that only the brave can make a protest site their home on the Grand Trunk Road to Delhi.

Parliamentarians, Senators and Prime Ministers of countries and governments are endorsing the right of the farmers to protest.

The Sikh community, in its spirit of Chardikala -Always Ascendance and Sarbat da Bhala -Welfare of all, has set up a temporary abode, calling it the Singh Garh -the fort of the brave at the Singhu border.  It is pretty obvious that only the brave can make a protest site their home on the Grand Trunk Road to Delhi. People from all states are living in a remarkable sense of camaraderie and cosy comfort in the nearly zero centigrade temperature, under the open sky in tents. Even though nearly 40 plus farmers have died so far, there is no going back.

India continues State Terrorism by acts of omission and commission. It tells lies in court. It tells lies to the media. The Prime Minister lies on television. The ministers lie in letters to the farmer leaders. The chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states lie to their constituents in a bid to denigrate the farmers and their struggle.

Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs are redefining diversity on the Indian border and giving a run for the money to the secularists and pseudo-secularists of India.  The state-managed media is still behaving like a spoiled brat and not learning lessons in patience, truthfulness, true secularism and federalism.

Still, India is unfazed. India continues State Terrorism by acts of omission and commission. It tells lies in court. It tells lies to the media. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lies on television. The ministers lie in letters to the farmer leaders. The chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states lie to their constituents in a bid to denigrate the farmers and their struggle.

The state-managed Modi media defames Sikhs and all others participating in the unique farmers protest. Unmindful as ever, Sikhs continue their struggle. 14-year-old Anureet Kaur from Kurukshetra, fighting her tears at the agony of the elderly at the Morcha said, “When I grow up, I will become a human rights lawyer.” Throughout the last 30 days, I have been wondering if the United Nations human rights bodies have listened to her or are they waiting for something worse to happen and then take up the matter with India?

Is the United Nations waiting for the farmers to forcibly march to Delhi or to court arrest in thousands for it to then take notice. Even if that happens, will the UN side with the ‘world’s biggest democracy” or with the people of the ‘world’s non-functioning democracy?

Peaceful assembly. Peaceful protest. Legitimate rights. Dialogue and discussion continue to happen. They all sound hollow. All conventions and covenants on these aspects are being flouted by India with impunity in full and glaring view of the whole world.

History is recording the silence of the United Nations. Time is not on their side, this time.