Farmers' protest to snooping scandal: 2021, the year that was in politics

From deep digging in the heart of the capital to takeoff plans in its periphery - 2021 remained action-packed

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Protesting the three controversial farm laws since the end of 2020 and demanding their withdrawal, farmers took out a massive tractor rally in Delhi on January 26, Republic Day. Breaking through police barricades, they climbed the ramparts of Red Fort and hoisted flags near the Tricolour. Amidst clashes, one farmer died and more than 80 policemen were injured.

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In the days that followed, protesting crowds waned from Delhi’s borders but the stir regained momentum after an emotional appeal from Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait. In November, the Centre repealed the farm laws.

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On October 3, four farmers protesting the farm laws and a journalist were mowed down by an SUV allegedly carrying BJP workers in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. The main accused in the case is Ashish Mishra, the son of Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni. In the violence that followed the incident, some people were lynched and vehicles set ablaze.

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“Khela hobe (the game is on)” became both a battle cry and a victory slogan in West Bengal as Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Bharatiya Janata Party leaders as the state went to polls. Nursing an injured foot, she decimated her opponents to lead the government for the third time in a row. And though she lost her own seat, Nandigram, her party’s landslide win has cemented her place as a leading face of the opposition. By the end of the year, the TMC entered Goa and Tripura, as Banerjee made her national ambitions clear.

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After months of friction between him and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Amarinder Singh resigned as the chief minister of Punjab. And the old warhorse was replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi. Sidhu, incidentally, was with the BJP when Amarinder became CM in 2017.

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The winter session of Parliament began with Rajya Sabha chairman suspending 12 MPs from five political parties for the rest of the session for “unruly conduct” on the last day of the monsoon session in August. Marshals were called after opposition members stormed the Well of the House. The suspended MPs sat in protest outside. TMC leader Derek O’Brien became the 13th MP to be suspended after he flung the House rulebook during a discussion on Election Laws (Amendment Bill) 2021, which was subsequently passed

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Ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh next year, PM Modi inaugurated Phase One of the Rs 339 crore Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor in his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, on December 13. The mega project involved the purchase and acquisition of more than 300 properties around the temple complex. It is expected to give a big boost to tourism in the ancient city.

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Work on the Noida International Airport at Jewar officially got underway on November 25 with PM Modi attending the foundation stone laying ceremony. The airport is expected to be operational by September 2024 and, once completed, will be India’s largest.

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Thirteen civilians were shot dead by Assam Rifles personnel in Nagaland’s Mon district on the evening of December 5. In a case of “mistaken identity”, the personnel purportedly opened fire on the civilians, assuming them to be insurgents. As protests against the incident spread like wildfire, Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed regret over the killing. The incident triggered fresh demands for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives sweeping powers to security forces in the Northeastern state. In a mark of solidarity, Nagaland's famous Hornbill Festival, held in December every year, was cancelled.

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With less than a month to go for Republic Day, the heart of Delhi remains dug up with construction for the Central Vista project under way. Six infrastructure firms have submitted technical bids for building an executive enclave that will house the PMO, Cabinet Secretariat, India House and National Security Council Secretariat.

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Members of Congress, DMK and Shiv Sena protested in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on Parliament premises as news of snooping through Israeli spyware Pegasus rocked the monsoon session. The Pegasus spyware, said the Israeli ambassador to India, can only be sold to governments. Opposition parties staged multiple walkouts from both Houses. The agitation escalated after the Centre showed no signs of acceding to the opposition’s demand for a discussion on the matter or to institute an independent judicial probe. The protests eventually led to a near-washout of the session.

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Bhupendrabhai Patel (Gujarat), Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), Charanjit Singh Channi (Punjab) and Pushkar Singh Dhami (Uttarakhand)

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MK Stalin (Tamil Nadu), Nadesan Krishnasamy Rangasamy (Puducherry), Basavaraj Bommai (Karnataka) and Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala)