Dissent cannot be branded anti-national: IYC chief

The shirtless protest staged by the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) during the India AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi last month triggered a political controversy and led to the arrest of 14 party workers, including its national president Uday Bhanu Chib.The protest took place while the high-profile summit, attended by global delegates and technology leaders, was underway in the national capital.

Following the protest, the Delhi Police registered a case at the Tilak Marg police station and arrested the IYC workers. They were later sent to Tihar Jail. Chib was released on bail on March 3.

Speaking to The Tribune after his release, Chib defended the protest and said it was aimed at drawing attention to concerns over the government’s trade engagement with the United States and its possible impact on farmers, industries and the country’s data resources.

Explaining why the IYC chose the AI summit venue for the protest, he said party workers believed it was an appropriate platform to raise issues linked to technology, trade and national interest.

“Our workers felt we could stage a peaceful protest there and we fully supported them. The concern was about the trade engagement with the US which shows that farmers in the country may suffer losses. If things continue like this, the situation in the next two to three years could become so difficult that farmers may be forced to sell their land,” he said.

Chib also questioned what he described as the sharing of India’s food-related data with the United States. Calling food data one of the country’s biggest assets, he said several countries protect such information carefully.

“Countries like China do not share their data easily. Food data is a major national asset. Why should it be handed over to another country like this,” he said.

Referring to the textile sector, he said Indian products face tariffs of around 18 per cent in as per US trade deal, while Bangladesh enjoys zero per cent tariffs. Such differences, he said, place Indian industries at a disadvantage and raise questions about the nature of the trade arrangement. It shows Bangladesh foriegn policy is better than ours," he said.

On being asked about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) describing the Youth Congress protest as anti-national, Chib said criticism of government decisions should not be labelled in that manner.

“We said ‘PM is compromised’. That slogan is already being raised in Parliament and outside it. Whenever someone speaks against the government, the BJP labels them anti-national. This is not new. During the farmers’ protests, those raising their voice were called Khalistanis or urban Naxalites. Calling critics anti-national is a way to divert attention from the real issues,” he said.

Responding to the FIR registered by the Delhi Police which includes provisions related to intent to cause rioting, Chib said the matter is currently before the court but maintained that a peaceful shirtless protest cannot be described as anti-national. "I can understand, the way sections were put in the FIR, the police might be in pressure," he said.

He also referred to earlier protests by BJP leaders during the Commonwealth Games period when similar shirtless protest were carried out. “When BJP leaders held shirtless protests at that time, no action was taken and no one went to jail. The government then respected the Constitution and democratic rights. The BJP now tries to suppress dissent by adding serious sections in FIRs,” he said.

The IYC chief also announced further protests against the trade engagement with the United States. The organisation plans to hold a "sansad gehrav" on March 16, after which protests will be organised in several states.

Chib said the organisation would continue raising the issue, warning that the trade arrangement could seriously harm farmers and people in the country.

“Our country is independent. Why should the US dictate terms to India? These are the consequences of such trade deals and we will continue to raise this issue,” he said.

On being asked whether the protest at the AI summit had been pre-planned, Chib confirmed that it had been organised in advance and said holding protests was a democratic right.