While the front page of national dailies did carry Budget 2021-22 as the lead news on Tuesday, a particular picture of concertina wires being placed near the farmers’ protest sites at Delhi-UP border plus a concrete barricade in the making planted with knife-sized nails that also got a place along with was most disturbing to view at a stretch. It reminds of war when for thwarting enemy attacks such constructions are made. A protest that went on in a democratic manner for more than 65 days experienced a sudden halt after the Republic Day fiasco and it can never be denied that it diluted the days’ sanctity. Nevertheless, labelling the agitating farmers as ‘enemies’ and rolling out such unthinkable pre-emptive measures to subdue their protests can only be called undemocratic. It’s necessary to recall that in the Global Democracy Index 2019 published in January 2020, India dropped 10 places to rank 51 which was the lowest since the rankings began in 2006. Erosion of civil liberties was cited in the report as the cause for the fall and while the 2021 edition is yet to arrive, it’s not hard to anticipate what the rank will be if the current picture evolving out of the farmers’ protest is taken into account.

Delhi Police’s justification of the ‘measures’ should not be taken seriously since they are compelled to obey orders coming from the ‘top’. But it’s necessary to have an idea of the composition of the measures. Besides the fear-triggering snaps of nail-saturated multiple barricades and barbed wire fences, internet remained suspended in intermittent spells at all protest sites in Delhi and in several Haryana districts too along with snapping of water and electricity. How many more of such coercive efforts will follow in the next few days is a matter of guess, but they are all rolled out with the urgent aim of driving away the farmers anyhow. However, there is a clear hint that the farmers are ready to brave all upcoming odds and it will start with their nationwide 3-hour ‘chakka jam’ on Saturday when vehicles on highways will not move. The government from the very beginning has been parroting that it’s very much eager for talks and that resulted in 11 rounds of discussions also. But that route seems to be on the verge of closure as the farmer unions on Tuesday conveyed in clear words that formal talks are impossible until there is an end to the ongoing harassment and release of detained farmers.

Turmoil is in full bloom and it’s very unsettling that steps that are being taken for its end are only making it bigger. Certainly, this isn’t the finest hour of the world’s largest democracy.