Losing the farm plot

Extreme responses weaken the govt's case

Till recently, the intransigence over negotiations with the government on the contentious agri-marketing laws and vandalism at the Red Fort on Republic Day seemed to have weakened the position of the protesting farmers. In a matter of a week, however, the government’s extreme responses and absurd modes of retaliation appear to have handed back the advantage to the farmers. By choosing to put out a 334-worded statement through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in response to two tweets in support of the protestors by singer Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg, the government has displayed a disproportionate sensitivity towards