Constant labelling is the mark of a hopelessly polarised society. Lakhs of farmers protesting outside Delhi in north India’s bitter winter have been called a range of names from ‘Khalistanis’ to ‘agents of Pakistan and China’ to ‘anti-nationals’. Over 30 farmers have lost their lives in the protest, some succumbing to cardiac arrests and a Sikh priest dying by suicide. Yet the genuineness of kisans is still being cast into doubt, suspicions are being raised on social media on farmers’ source of funding, including how farmers can afford to eat California almonds.
The default term to discredit those who disagree — ‘tukde tukde gang’ — has been used. No less than a Union minister has said that the ‘tukde tukde gang’ Read More