What do you do after asking someone for help? After the person helps you, normally, empathetic, sane and civilised people thank him or her. At the borders of Delhi, however, where ‘farmers’ from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh are camping, people who are working to help them are being harassed, roughed up and beaten black and blue. After the January 26 violence effectuated by the ‘farmers’ on the streets of Delhi, many anarchists have gone missing. The farmers’ unions have been making requests to authorities and police officials to locate such missing persons.
So, a police constable – Jitendra Rana from Nangloi police station near Tikri border went to the protest site, with multiple posters in his hands. These posters were of the allegedly missing individuals who were not being located after the Republic Day violence. Visibly, the constable on duty went with the intention of helping the farmers find their missing friends and relatives. However, constable Jitendra Rana was soon beaten black and blue by the protesting ‘farmers’. Rana sustained grievous injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital by police officials.
Delhi Police said the police personnel has received multiple stitches and an FIR has been registered against an unknown person in this regard. Various protest marches are being held at the protest sites to call on relevant authorities to locate the missing individuals who are untraceable after the January 26 violence. It is mind-blowing how farmers have now resorted to beating up and thrashing the very people who are trying to help them.
The targeting of police constable Jitendra Rana also exposes a deep-seated hatred among the protestors for police officials. That the police personnel are still trying to help the protestors, after the anarchists severely injured 400 Delhi Police officials on Republic Day is remarkable and speaks volumes about their dedication to the people of India.
Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. The protesting farmers believe that the new laws will reduce them to landless peasants and leave them entirely at the mercy of big corporate houses. It is such misinformation that has been fuelling the protests from day one.