The ongoing farmers’ protests against the three revolutionary farm laws passed by Parliament in the Monsoon session gone by have, for incomprehensible reasons to many, been facing immense resistance and backlash in Punjab and parts of Haryana. After months of blocking rail lines in Punjab, alleged farmers under the aegis of various kisaan and trade unions have launched the ‘Dilli Chalo’ campaign, which has visibly now been hijacked by Khalistani elements. As the Haryana administrative machinery took to blocking farmers from reaching Delhi, the masks of multiple ‘farmers’ fell off, as they took to peddling Khalistani agenda, praising Pakistan PM Imran Khan, boasting about the assassination of Indira Gandhi, et al.
Bollywood and India’s entertainment industry has largely refrained from commenting on the protests which have been sparked due to aggressive misinformation and scaremongering campaigns undertaken by vested interest groups, middlemen and political parties like the Congress and Akali Dal. However, for certain Punjabi celebrities, staying away from the controversy would invite backlash from a major chunk of their audiences. As such, in a bid to perhaps convince the market comprising protestors and their sympathisers, celebrities like Diljit Dosanjh, Harbhajan Mann, RichaChadha and others have come forward with unconditional support for the ‘farmers protest’.
Read more: Are only the famers of Punjab unhappy? The truth behind the manufactured malice in farmers’ protests
However, here’s the thing. The alleged farmers’ protest seems to have been hijacked by separatist elements. While one would want to give Punjabi celebrities the benefit of doubt and say that they are voicing their support for the farmers only to not lose audiences, people like Diljit, Harbhajan and Richa must responsibly come clean on their actual motivations. Do they support the hilarious concept of Khalistan, assassination of Indira Gandhi despite her horrendous acts, praising of Imran Khan and threatening of killing a sitting Prime Minister of the country?
Baba BHALI Karey 🙏🏾
ANG SANG SAHAI HOVE🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/8w0lEgfC2J
— DILJIT DOSANJH (@diljitdosanjh) November 26, 2020
Kehrra Bann Maaru Yaaro, Vagdeyan Daraavan Nu !!
Shaala! Sachaayi Di Jitt Hove!!
Shaala! Roti Di Jitt Hove 🙏🏻#kisanmazdurektazindabaad#standingwithfarmers#kisanandolandelhi pic.twitter.com/yiZbCiM4yd— Harbhajan Mann (@harbhajanmann) November 26, 2020
https://twitter.com/RichaChadha/status/1332400516748468226?s=20
https://twitter.com/RichaChadha/status/1332905443732164609?s=20
TFI has reported how, in order to score political points, both the mainstream parties of the Punjab – Congress and AkaliDal are flirting with Khalistani elements, and spreading ‘misinformation’ over farm bills. The fictitious snatching of farmers’ land by industrialists supposed doing away with the MSP regime and garnishing of the same false narratives with religious toxicity, along with the active support of diasporaseparatists has ensured that a Communist dystopia is created in the minds of Punjab’s farmers, who now think of the Modigovernment as their sworn enemy. Do celebrities who have voiced their support for such misinformed protests also stand by the calls of certain ‘farmers’ chanting slogans in favour of Khalistan, and threatening to assassinate Prime Minister Modilike Indira Gandhi?
Such questions will surely be answered by Dosanjh, Mann and Chadha in their hearts and not publicly; we aren’t quite done probing them. Is it not true, after all, that such specimens are playing both sides, i.e., the pro-India and anti-India factions around the world? In order to cater to a Pakistani/international/diaspora audience which is generally anti-India, such celebrities oblige to their narratives. Simultaneously, they also cater to the pro-India majority within the country. Needless to say, such duplicitous ‘artists’ have now been exposed, and must not be allowed to go about fooling Indians. They must choose a side. If they choose India, they must detest and condemn attempts to fan separatism in any part of the country, and if they choose to toe the line of Pakistan, they must be kicked out of India.
Does the BJP have a think tank to advise the PM ? Once again, as in the case of the Shaheen Bagh protest fiasco, which gives ideas to other protesters, the govt. failed to act at the right time. Why didn’t an important minister go to Punjab and meet with the farmers to explain the benefits of the bill in detail, and request the farmers to think over it before proceeding to Delhi ? Now when they are blocking the roads , the govt. is willing to talk with them, that is, they are being black mailed. In the Shaheen Bagh case, the pandemic saved the govt. Now how will they get out of the mess they created due to lack of foresight?