I struggled with this article, wondering if there is something I could add to the commentary on the events from yesterday. I suppose most good people are still numb with shock. If you ask me, this was an attempted coup. The underlying message of holding a parallel parade on Republic Day was always clear. They wanted to showcase a parallel power center on the streets, a republic of mob rule. Storming the Red Fort and planting another flag was just a natural next step, likely carefully planned and executed.
That is literally the metaphor used by all those who want to overthrow the Indian state. They speak of flying their own flag on the Red Fort.
After the failed coup attempt, their supporters have had to go into damage control mode. The so-called “fact-checkers” were unleashed as the first line of defense. They wanted us to debate whether the flag they planted was a “good flag” or a “bad flag.” Classic diversion tactic. The fact is that it doesn’t matter. The Red Fort is the place where the Prime Minister of India raises the national flag on Independence Day. No flag, whether “good” or “bad” can take its place.
After the fact-checkers had done their bit, the rumor mongers were pressed into service. Now they are finding “BJP agents” all over the place and blaming them. See this photo, see that tweet. Ha! Till yesterday, they were all “annadaatas” with hearts of gold. Today you realize that the place was crawling with well-known BJP agents. What about the farm union leaders themselves who welcomed these laws barely six months ago? What about the farm unions who made these same exact demands in writing as part of their “Kisan manifesto” for the 2019 elections? All BJP agents?
Again, that does not matter. They now realize that yesterday’s coup attempt was a step too far. They now want to drown everything out in a cloud of rumor, confusion and conspiracy theories.
For those of my generation, this is distressingly familiar. A horrible thing happened in Godhra on Feb 27, 2002. The next day, the lies began. Someone did not pay for tea, someone tried to sexually assault a woman, the fire was an accident and so on. Result: till date, a number of people, including outlets like BBC, think that nobody really knows who was to blame in Godhra. Never mind the fact that the Gujarat High Court convicted the culprits years ago and gave them life sentences.
I know I have digressed from the aim of this article, apparent from its heading. My aim was to add something new to all the things being said.
So, dear liberal annadatas, let me just point out that a tractor has a rather high center of gravity. Here is a diagram that may help understand the concept. An object will fall when the vertical line from its center of gravity no longer passes through its base.
Forget the technical jargon; what does that mean for you? It means that a tractor will overturn easily. In other words, it is incredibly dangerous to drive a tractor around in crazy stunts at high speeds, like I observed some “liberals” doing yesterday on the streets of Delhi.
Dangerous for who? Well, it is dangerous both for the person driving the tractor and the people on the street. From what I saw yesterday, I suppose you don’t care very much about the latter. You already used tractors to chase innocent policemen over the walls of the fort, forcing them to jump into a ditch. Over 80 of them are in hospital. I know you couldn’t care less about that.
But it is dangerous for you too. If you try to turn tricks with a tractor, it will likely overturn and cause serious injuries to you. A tractor is supposed to be used for hauling heavy things, usually at slow speeds. No matter how loud its engine, a tractor is not a tank and cannot be used as such. Considering that most of the “liberal” rioters yesterday appeared to identify as male, I apologize if this revelation hurts your male ego.
And before you ask, these are laws of physics. They were not made by any Parliament. There was no debate and no discussion before these laws came into force. If that means these laws are serving the interests of A**ani or A*ani or any other businessman whose name rhymes with that, please do not blame Modi, Shah, RSS, Bhakts, Godi media, etc for it. Unfortunately, the laws of physics cannot be repealed. They cannot even be suspended.
So while we are in this physical universe, I suggest you simply follow the law. Be careful when you are driving a tractor. Take care of your own safety as well as the safety of others around you.
