When%20violence%20erupted%20on%20the%20thoroughfares%20of%20the%20national%20capital%20on%20Republic%20Day%20everyone%20considered%20it%20to%20be%20the%20end%20of%20a%20well-sustained%20two-month%20long%20protest%20by%20farmers%2C%20unrelenting%20on%20their%20demand%20for%20repeal%20of%20the%20new%20farm%20laws%20introduced%20by%20the%20Narendra%20Modi%20regime.

People%20were%20led%20to%20easily%20believe%20in%20the%20hyperboles%20put%20out%20by%20primetime%20anchors%20who%20left%20no%20stone%20unturned%20to%20convey%20how%20the%20protestors%20had%20not%20only%20%u201Cdesecrated%u201D%20the%20Red%20Fort%20but%20had%20also%20%u201Cinsulted%u201D%20the%20Tricolour.

Even%20sympathisers%20of%20the%20farmers%u2019%20agitation%20were%20ready%20to%20discredit%20the%20protestors%20who%20had%20until%20then%20displayed%20amazing%20resilience%20not%20only%20against%20the%20government%u2019s%20cold%20apathy%20but%20also%20against%20the%20nature%u2019s%20hostile%20chill%20they%20were%20braving%20under%20the%20open%20skies.

%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/fall-in-line-or-face-the-music-is-the-message-for-all-objective-journalists%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%7C%20%27Fall%20in%20line%20or%20face%20the%20music%u2019%20is%20the%20message%20for%20all%20objective%20journalists%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

But%20what%20seemed%20to%20be%20tottering%20under%20the%20pressure%20of%20the%20counter-productive%20acts%20of%20violence%2C%20suddenly%20received%20a%20shot%20in%20the%20arm.%20At%20a%20time%20when%20four%20smaller%20farm%20unions%20had%20decided%20to%20call%20it%20a%20day%20and%20some%20of%20them%20were%20seen%20packing%20their%20bags%2C%20a%20gang%20of%20local%20goons%20led%20by%20a%20BJP%20leader%20was%20systematically%20let%20loose%20to%20teach%20the%20protestors%20a%20lesson.%20The%20clash%20that%20ensued%20was%20sought%20to%20be%20given%20the%20colour%20of%20infighting%20between%20different%20group%20of%20farmers%20%u2013%20something%20the%20ruling%20dispensation%20had%20tried%20hard%20to%20accomplish.

It%20was%20not%20before%20long%20that%20farmers%20could%20see%20that%20the%20attack%20by%20goons%20was%20engineered.%20Far%20from%20splitting%20them%20apart%20%u2013%20as%20was%20intended%20by%20the%20attackers%20%u2013%20it%20brought%20different%20groups%20of%20farmers%20closer.%20Bharatiya%20Kisan%20Union%20%28BKU%29%20leader%20Rakesh%20Tikait%20turned%20so%20emotional%20that%20he%20burst%20into%20tears%2C%20which%20stitched%20the%20wounds%20sustained%20by%20the%20farmers.%20Tikait%20struck%20the%20emotional%20chord%20even%20with%20those%20farmers%20who%20until%20then%20seemed%20to%20be%20deserting%20the%20movement.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%3A%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/govts-growing-intolerance-of-media-where-are-we-headed%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EGovt%27s%20growing%20intolerance%20of%20media%20-%20where%20are%20we%20headed%3F%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

For%20BJP%2C%20Tikait%u2019s%20reaction%20in%20asserting%2C%20%u201CI%20will%20end%20my%20life%20if%20the%20farm%20laws%20are%20not%20repealed%u201D%2C%20came%20like%20a%20bolt%20from%20the%20blue.%20Tikait%2C%20who%20had%20been%20an%20open%20supporter%20of%20the%20BJP%2C%20turned%20fiercely%20hostile%20and%20even%20went%20to%20the%20extent%20of%20openly%20regretting%20his%20association%20with%20the%20ruling%20party.%26nbsp%3B

And%20what%20followed%20at%20the%20next%20%u2018maha-panchayat%u2019%20called%20by%20him%2C%20has%20made%20the%20BJP%20even%20more%20jittery.%20For%20the%20first%20time%20since%202013%2C%20when%20the%20infamous%20and%20bloody%20Muzaffarnagar%20riots%20led%20to%20a%20sharp%20communal%20divide%20in%20entire%20West%20UP%20region%2C%20a%20re-unification%20of%20Jats%20and%20Muslims%20is%20being%20witnessed%20now.%26nbsp%3B

Thanks%20to%20concerted%20efforts%20of%20Amit%20Shah%2C%20who%20had%20systematically%20forged%20the%20divide%2C%20BJP%20support%20swelled%20in%20the%20region%20with%20Jats%20just%20converging%20enbloc%20towards%20the%20BJP.%20Narendra%20Modi%u2019s%20mesmerising%20election%20speeches%20further%20consolidated%20the%20support%20of%20Jats%2C%20who%20drifted%20away%20from%20Rashtriya%20Lok%20Dal%2C%20to%20which%20they%20were%20wedded%20for%20years%20because%20of%20their%20obeisance%20for%20the%20party%u2019s%20lineage%20of%20Chaudhary%20Charan%20Sing%2C%20the%20tallest%20of%20India%u2019s%20farmer%20leaders.

The%20Jats%20had%20stuck%20on%20with%20Chaudhary%20Charan%20Singh%u2019s%20legacy%20carried%20forward%20by%20his%20son%20Ajit%20Singh%20and%20grandson%20Jayant%20Chaudhary%20but%20since%202014%2C%20they%20shifted%20their%20loyalties%20to%20BJP.%20And%20the%20result%20of%20their%20support%20became%20visible%20in%20three%20elections%20%u2013%202014%2C2017%20and%202019.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%3A%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/r-day-violence-editors-guild-condemns-firs-against-journalists-demands-withdrawal%22%3E%3Cstrong%3ER-Day%20violence%3A%20Editors%20Guild%20condemns%20FIRs%20against%20journalists%3B%20demands%20withdrawal%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

Tikait%u2019s%20condemnation%20of%20the%20BJP%20seem%20to%20have%20worked%20like%20magic%20in%20healing%20the%20scars%20of%20the%20Muzaffarnagar%20riots%2C%20which%20had%20left%2067%20dead%20and%20rendered%20thousands%20homeless.%26nbsp%3B

Sure%20enough%2C%20even%20a%20whiff%20of%20any%20such%20rapprochement%20between%20Jats%20and%20Muslims%20in%20this%20region%20would%20be%20a%20cause%20of%20serious%20concern%20for%20the%20powers%20that%20be.%20If%20insiders%20are%20to%20be%20believed%2C%20partymen%20are%20discussing%20in%20hushed%20tones%20as%20to%20why%20the%20ruling%20dispensation%20went%20for%20intimidation%20of%20farmers%20at%20a%20juncture%20when%20they%20were%20about%20to%20withdraw%20from%20the%20protest.%20No%20one%20is%20willing%20to%20divulge%20who%20gave%20the%20go-ahead%20for%20the%20act%2C%20but%20there%20can%20be%20no%20denying%20that%20it%20could%20not%20have%20been%20possible%20without%20a%20green%20signal%20from%20those%20who%20call%20the%20shots.%20And%20that%20is%20what%20has%20been%20taken%20serious%20note%20of%20by%20party%20bigwigs%20in%20Delhi.

But%20somehow%2C%20that%20did%20not%20seem%20to%20deter%20the%20powers%20that%20be%20in%20Uttar%20Pradesh%20from%20adopting%20a%20further%20confrontationist%20attitude%20towards%20the%20agitation%20even%20now.%20After%20the%20Delhi%20police%20built%20impregnable%20barriers%20to%20prevent%20a%20repeat%20of%20the%20farmers%20storming%20of%20the%20national%20capital%2C%20the%20UP%20chief%20minister%20too%20has%20got%20down%20to%20proving%20that%20he%20is%20capable%20of%20taking%20even%20stronger%20steps%20to%20crush%20the%20farmers%20movement.%20While%20power%20supply%20had%20already%20been%20snapped%2C%20the%20UP%20authorities%20have%20started%20pulling%20out%20drinking%20water%20tankers%20from%20the%20neighbourhood%20of%20the%20Ghazipur%20border%20where%20the%20protestors%20were%20sprawling%20across%20acres%20of%20land.

Perhaps%20Tikait%20was%20taken%20a%20bit%20too%20lightly%20by%20the%20state%20authorities.%20Strangely%2C%20they%20chose%20to%20overlook%20the%20fact%20that%20both%20Rakesh%20and%20his%20brother%20Naresh%20Tikit%20owe%20their%20following%20to%20their%20late%20father%20Mahendra%20Singh%20Tikait%2C%20whose%20clout%20in%20the%20community%20was%20unparalleled.%20Way%20back%20in%20the%20late%2080s%2C%20the%20older%20Tikait%20had%20staged%20a%20historic%20dharna%20at%20Delhi%u2019s%20Boat%20Club%20which%20shook%20the%20then%20Congress%20regime%20and%20established%20the%20BKU%20supremo%20as%20an%20undisputed%20Jat%20icon.%26nbsp%3B

After%20Mahendra%20Singh%20Tikait%u2019s%20demise%2C%20neither%20of%20the%20sons%20could%20maintain%20the%20father%u2019s%20clout%20largely%20because%20of%20their%20habit%20of%20political%20hopping.%20In%20an%20election%20he%20contested%2C%20Rakesh%20Tikait%20even%20lost%20his%20deposit.%20But%20what%20happened%20in%20the%20aftermath%20of%20the%20Republic%20Day%20happenings%2C%20seems%20to%20have%20overnight%20changed%20the%20fate%20of%20Tikait%2C%20who%20has%20suddenly%20acquired%20a%20taller%20stature%20than%20he%20had%20ever%20imagined.%20Jats%20belonging%20to%20different%20%u2018khaps%u2019%20%u2013%20men%20and%20women-%20were%20ready%20to%20swear%20by%20the%20name%20of%20Tikait%20today.%20And%20that%20was%20demonstrated%20by%20the%20dedication%20and%20passion%20with%20which%20people%20from%20his%20village%20Sisauli%20made%20a%20beeline%20to%20bring%20water%20for%20him%20when%20Rakesh%20Tikait%20declared%20that%20he%20would%20drink%20water%20only%20from%20his%20village.%26nbsp%3B

Under%20the%20circumstances%2C%20it%20would%20be%20no%20surprise%20to%20find%20a%20clearly%20worried%20BJP%20leadership%20to%20now%20move%20heaven%20and%20earth%20to%20broker%20a%20deal%20with%20him.%20However%2C%20whether%20the%20Tikaits%20would%20allow%20themselves%20to%20be%20seen%20as%20vulnerable%20once%20again%20and%20thus%20fall%20prey%20to%20any%20BJP%20trap%20is%20a%20million-dollar%20question.

%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23FarmersProtest%22%20data-user-id%3D%22i2q9L5EgFmNs%22%20href%3D%22/topic/farmers-protest%22%3E%23FarmersProtest%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23FarmLaws%22%20data-user-id%3D%22mZ9Lh9yZZ33C%22%20href%3D%22/topic/farmlaws%22%3E%23FarmLaws%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23RakeshTikait%22%20data-user-id%3D%22aqB1QhnpEvF4%22%20href%3D%22/topic/rakesh-tikait%22%3E%23RakeshTikait%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23BJP%22%20data-user-id%3D%22cqfihWqpWO59%22%20href%3D%22/topic/bjp%22%3E%23BJP%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23UttarPradesh%22%20data-user-id%3D%228fpxFfZw7Hfa%22%20href%3D%22/topic/uttar-pradesh%22%3E%23UttarPradesh%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B