'Treating apolitical farmers like irresponsible opposition to be derided': 75 ex-bureaucrats in letter to govt

06-02-2021

In an open letter to the Centre, a group of former 75 bureaucrats has said that the government's approach towards the farmers' protest against the three new farm laws has been an adversarial and a confrontationist one from the very beginning. The former civil servants, including Najeeb Jung, Julio Riberio and Aruna Roy, who are part of the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG) also said that the apolitical farmers are being treated like "an irresponsible opposition to be derided, demonised and defeated". The letter also underscored that repeated, albeit unsuccessful, attempts to polarise the agitation along regional, communal and other lines are also reprehensible. "Such an approach can never lead to a solution," the letter stated. �If the government of India is indeed interested in an amicable solution, instead of proposing half-hearted steps such as putting the laws on hold for 18 months, it can withdraw the legislations and think of other possible solutions, given the basic constitutional position that the subject of agriculture is in the State list in the Constitution,� it said. The former bureaucrats said they were "particularly concerned about the developments that took place on 26 January 2021, Republic Day, the efforts to lay the blame on the farmers for the disruption of law and order on that day and the events that have followed". Delhi witnessed clashes between farmers and police during a tractor rally on January 26 after some farmers violated the pre-designated routes and reached the Red Fort and hoisted religious flags there.

Ex-bureaucrats call for 'remedial action'
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The former civil servants appealed to the Central government to take "remedial action" on an issue which has caused "so much turmoil in the country over the past several months". "We reassert and reiterate our support to the agitating farmers while expecting the government to provide a healing touch and to solve the issue to the satisfaction of the stakeholders," the letter said. The group of former civil servants also said they note certain developments with "grave concern". "The approach of the government of India towards the farmers' protest has been an adversarial and confrontationist one from the very beginning, treating the apolitical farmers like an irresponsible opposition to be derided, demonised and defeated," the letter said. Thousands of farmers, mainly from Haryana and Punjab, have been protesting at several border points of Delhi for over two months, demanding repeal of the Centre's three agriculture laws.