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OPINION February 12, 2021 | The Indian Eye 19

global brands,

indian farms and reforms

Views and opinions from the top commentators in Indian media

he recent social media tellect and is often adept at rep-
noise against the farm bills artee, especially when playing
Tmakes me terribly upset. to a supportive crowd.
People with half-baked infor- His prowess at both coining
mation and half-doubtful inten- and interpreting acronyms is
tions are bombarding social me- also well-known.
dia against laws they don’t fully However, there is always the
understand. It’s heartbreaking danger that in the context of is-
to see people try to derail Indian sues of great moment, this play
agriculture’s progress. Global with acronyms may descend to
pop stars and other influencers embarrassing levity merely.
coordinated, if not downright This once he chose to take
colluded to post against the new up for play the acronym FDI,
farm laws. quipping that a new dangerous
Like cult leaders, almost all FDI was doing the rounds in
these people attain influence by Farmers and their supporters hold placards during their ongoing protest India. He was pleased to call it
showing greater morality, virtue against farm law, at Ghazipur border in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI) ‘Foreign Destructive Ideology.’
signaling and justice credentials. Rather a labored one that, but
Since they are successful and as- is that many leaders from the the farm laws. Parliament has never mind.
pirational as well, their crusade ruling Bharatiya Janata Party the final authority to decide on Acronyms, of course, are
wins them a lot of fans, likes (BJP) were at the forefront of its internal procedures that are open to multiple expansions,
and followers. There’s nothing this skullduggery. not subject to judicial review, and Derek O’Brien of the All
wrong with the strategy. It’s easy This was hitting below the and it can enact any law it likes India Trinamool Congress – an
and makes for good marketing. belt on the izzat and ego of so long as it doesn’t violate the accomplished quiz master – was
What these influencers regu- farmers. The popular image of Constitution. A Recalling Act quick to suggest that in the cur-
larly want is to post continuous the poor Indian farmer working would not “repeal” the legisla- rent Indian context, FDI may
proof of their social justice cru- to feed the nation was being de- tion, as lawyers understand it, more relevantly be interpret-
sades and their bleeding hearts fied. Potshots of all kind, includ- but would “recall” it for further ed as ‘Farmers Dying in India.’
to retain their engagement.” ing the availability of good food deliberations. Sombre but true enough.

Chetan Bhagat, at the langars, became a regular For practical intents and Shri Modi’s fear of ‘foreign’
The Times of India feature on TV and social me- purposes, the farm laws would ideas, of course, contrasts strik-
dia. To discredit the movement, cease to exist, and the Recall- ingly with Gandhi’s famous
Farmer & soldier a campaign was launched, di- ing Act should say so clearly in averment that he wished winds
“A section of very eager and rectly aimed at humiliating the order to avoid future interpre- of all kinds to pass through his
zealous media started a vicious farming community.” tational disputes. After being doors and windows, even as he
campaign to target the farmers so “recalled”, the laws could refused to be blown away by
as ‘Khalistani’ supporters. The maj gen yash mor (retd), be placed before Parliament any. Nor would Shri Modi’s cur-
The Print
narrative started to build when for due discussions and delib- rent favorite (elections in West
farmers’ organizations were ac- reCall Farm laWs erations, and could later be en- Bengal being due soon), Tagore
cused of having been ‘infiltrated’ “How can this be used to acted in a suitable form for the have for one brief moment en-
by ‘Urban Naxals’, ‘tukde tuk- break the impasse? One way purposes of the original state dorsed Shri Modi’s disparage-
de gang’, etc. Many started to could be to convince two state legislatures that had passed the ment of ideas ‘foreign’, it might
blame Pakistan’s Inter-Services legislatures to invoke their au- enabling resolutions under arti- be noted in passing.”
Intelligence (ISI) and China thority under Article 252, and cle 252. Other states can opt in Badri raina,
for funding the agitation. Ques- to pass a resolution enabling later by resolution, or have their The Wire
tions started to appear on the Parliament to enact a law under, own legislation.”
‘quality’ and ‘type’ of farmers say, entry 14 of the state list. So
sitting at the protest sites. En- enabled, Parliament can then Khagesh gautam, Every week, we look at what the
glish-speaking, clothed Western enact a “Recalling Act”, em- The Indian Express top commentators in the Indian
media are talking about and
wear, pizza-eating men could powered whereby the President modi’s tears bring to you a slice of their

not be farmers? The sad part by notification would “recall” “Shri Modi has a skillful in- opinions and comments

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