The internet has captured a shocking scene from Delhi. 25 Sikh women were arrested and among them was a 2 year old girl named Yasmi Kaur. Apparently an argument ensued after the police demanded the Kaurs remove flags from their vehicle and this lead to the arrests.
It is important to get all information on any given situation in order to assess it's true nature. In this case the arrest of a 2 year is in no way good. If one were to give the highest benefit of the doubt it would sound something like this: 'perhaps taking the child into custody was preferable to leaving the toddler on the street while all the adults were arrested'.
How much benefit of doubt do the Delhi police deserve is another question. Recently the UN has commented about human's rights violations against farm protesters,
"Charges of sedition against journalists and activists for reporting or commenting on the protests, & attempt to curb freedom of expression on social media are disturbing departures from essential human rights principles," said Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
What this is likely referring to is Nodeep Kaur and Shiv Kumar who are labor rights union members both apparently tortured under captivity. The former, who also served as an independent journalist, became an icon for the farm protests being a brave young woman who is fighting for the dignity of common people.
The overreach is even being seen by other Indian authorities. In the case of Disha Ravi, an environmental activist who was arrested for her peripheral involvement in the farmers protest, the judge indicted police by saying,
"The offence of sedition cannot be invoked to minister to the wounded vanity of the government."
Whether or not the child was taken in for safety concerns is one issue, another is the nature of the arrest of the 25 women. Their apparent crime was to be devotees traveling to visit a gurdwara while having flags on their vehicle. Tribune India states that they were "Khalsa Panth and ‘kisan morcha’ flags". Carrying the flag of your religion... while going to visit a sacred site of your religion... is in no way illegal or even offensive. And having a farm protest flag is also no reason to take anyone under custody.
While we do hope to hear more details about this situation one thing is for sure: the attention the farm protests are having on social media can only be for the betterment of the people. Far too long have authorities escaped scrutiny, and if the motivation behind acts like these is to quiet the voice and slow the thrust of a movement... surely it will have the opposite affect.
Images and reports of the arrest of a toddler have started spreading, and surely will reach far and wide. It matters not what one's political views are, one's perspective on agricultural law, no one is immune to the plight of a young child being taken in by the police.
Martin Luther King famously said,
“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
The light is now shining on Indian authorities and their actions. In the name of good will towards all, by the Grace of Guru Nanak, may the highest good come from this light.