Thousands of farmers converged at a Mahapanchayat held in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Saturday, August 26. Some days ago, the Mewat region was wracked with widespread violence as communal harmony was disturbed. The Mahapanchayat was organised to counter this politics of hatred.

A large part of Mewat comes under Haryana, and some parts of the region also fall under neighbouring states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The entire region where Meo Muslims reside is called Mewat. This Mahapanchayat was held to oppose the attempts to sow seeds of communal discord between Hindus and Muslims, and was attended by farmer leaders and common people from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Since July 31 when Nuh, Gurugram, and adjoining areas of Haryana witnessed anti-Muslim violence during a rally taken out by Hindutva groups, farmers’ groups have held three major meetings in Jind, Hisar, and Mewat to counter the communal build-up in the state. Besides, nearly two dozen local Khap panchayat meetings have been held across the Mewat region, which spans both Haryana and neighbouring Rajasthan.

For instance, a farmers’ meeting on August 9 at a grain market in Hisar’s Bass village, which was originally convened to discuss farmers’ issues, was renamed Bhaichara Sammelan (a meeting to spread brotherhood) to speak out against Nuh and Gurugram violence and subsequent hate speeches by Hindutva groups calling for the boycott of Muslims. Since farmers’ pushback against the hate, calls for such a boycott by Hindutva groups have largely stopped from Haryana.

“It is the impact of the farmers’ warning that further bloodshed in Haryana has been averted,” Shamsher Singh More, a farmers’ leader, told The Wire. “Mewatis are our brothers. They stood with us during the farmers’ protest and organised langars. Meanwhile, the BJP supporters attacked and defamed us, by calling us terrorists. We are not returning any favour but we are standing with our brothers against miscreants who are trying to create disharmony in the country.”

More goes on to add that people have “united to stop polarisation” before the upcoming state and parliamentary elections. It may be recalled that besides farmers, the long-drawn wrestlers’ protest also shed light on the communal politics of the BJP in addition to wrestlers’ demand for action against BJP MP and former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

“The focus of the state should be on education and farmers’ issues instead of religious disputes,” he added.

Another farmers’ leader Suresh Kouth, who emerged as a prominent face during the protest against the three contentious farm laws, said such meetings are the need of the hour. “We want to save our state. We don’t want disharmony in Haryana. We don’t want riots,” Kouth told The Wire, questioning inaction against hate-mongers such as Monu Manesar, who is also accused of murdering two Muslim men.

Farmers becoming overtly religious harms the interests of people at large and disturbs communal harmony, said another farmers’ leader Choudhary Chotu Ram. “As Hindus, we are more in number and it is our duty to protect those who are fewer in numbers from any kind of attack. Before anyone points a finger at them, they’ll have to face us,” he added.

The Haryana government denied permission to Hindutva groups to hold another ‘Shobha Yatra’ in Nuh on Monday, August 28 – akin to the one held on July 31 which saw widespread violence. Although Hindutva groups vowed to take out a rally on Monday despite being denied permission, police barred them from doing so. Instead, the police allowed groups of 10-20 people to perform Jalabhishek at different temples.

A large posse of policemen was deployed in Nuh and Gurugram on Monday anticipating violence. Farmers had earlier warned of a tractor rally if the Haryana government were to permit any rally by Hindutva groups. They have been blaming the BJP governments in Haryana and at the Centre for giving patronage to the Hindutva groups to stoke religious hatred in Mewat.

Journalist Mandeep Punia – who has been covering farmers’ meetings and Khap panchayats closely – said that it is due to such coming together of forces against Hindutva groups, the situation has not become worse in the Mewat region. He said since Khaps dominate politics in Haryana, their influence is seen in averting any further crisis.

Bhupinder Chaudhary, the Rashtriya Lok Dal spokesperson who attended some of these meetings, told The Wire that at the moment, what matters more than the larger political impact of these meetings is the message of solidarity.

“When a dominant community rejects hate politics, it sends a message to all other communities. To the Muslims, the message is that they are not alone and everybody is not on the other side. This reassurance is important.”

Incidentally, BJP’s alliance partner and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala had said that the violence in Nuh could have been averted had the organisers shared correct information with the administration.

Important Kisan Leaders Speak Out at Alwar Mahapanchayat

At the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ held in Rajasthan’s Alwar, that was attended by important kisan leaders from across the country and thousands of people, a message for Hindu-Muslim unity and brotherhood was given. Bharatiya Kisan Union’s National Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait made a big announcement saying, “If Shobha Yatra is taken out then the farmers will also take out a rally with four lakh tractors and hold a big panchayat there too.”

In the Alwar Mahapanchayat, the farmer leaders spoke about brotherhood and accused the Haryana government and Right-wing organisations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) of promoting communal enmity in Nuh.

The Mahapanchayat was also attended by Jammu & Kashmir’s former Governor Satyapal Malik, farmer leaders Rakesh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union’s (Charuni) leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s leader Darshanpal, Bharatiya Kisan Union’s (Bhagat Singh) Chief Amarjeet Singh Mohri, Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Union’s Suresh Koth and Maulana Arshad, including many other important people.

Gurnam Singh Charuni said, “BJP has no other issue. They just want people to fight among themselves but we have to not fight, we have to maintain our brotherhood. There are no Hindus or Muslims here, only brothers.”

Charuni criticised the present government saying, “During 60 years of Independence, these people did not hoist the tricolour at their headquarters and now they are taking out tiranga yatra.”

Speaking to the media, Charuni said, “This panchayat has been held to preserve our social fabric of brotherhood. The Mahapanchayat has only one purpose, that brotherhood can be ensured in our society.”

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhagat Singh) chief Amarjeet Singh Mohri said.” Thousands of people sacrificed their lives to save the country hundreds of years ago. Today, people are faced with a big responsibility as these people (the BJP) want to change the country’s Constitution. But we will not let brotherhood break, we will not let them change the flag, or the Constitution. The biggest responsibility for this lies with you, as Mewati people have sacrificed a lot for the country’s Independence, and those who are calling themselves nationalists now, were supporting the British then.”

Mohri added, “Break the shackles of religion and caste, join hands with your farmer brothers, work to defeat the communal and divisive powers with your unity.”

Jammu & Kashmir’s former Governor Satyapal Malik said, “The Central government wants to end agriculture. This is why different laws are being introduced. Following communal clashes in Nuh, Haryana Police has been arresting innocent people, their homes and businesses are being demolished due to vengeance.”

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait launched an attack on Haryana’s BJP government and said, “If the Haryana government gives permission for the Brijmandal Yatra in Nuh on August 28, then we too will take out a tractor rally. These BJP people ask, where are the four Lakh tractors? They should hear loud and clear that four Lakh tractors and 25 lakh people are all here.”

Tikait said, “This is a country of communal harmony, unity and brotherhood. If they talk about breaking this brotherhood, we talk about strengthening it. It is important to open schools, colleges and hospitals and give employment to the youth to ensure the country’s progress.”

Tikait said, “No political party can save the country. Only a movement can save the country. The government will be forced to bend when farmers, workers, the unemployed masses, the oppressed and the exploited sections all participate in it. The country’s ruler is following the policy of divide and rule.”

Tikait made an appeal in the Mahapanchayat and said, “Educate your children, encourage them to find employment, don’t send them to participate in riots. We are all Hindus. There are two types of Hindus, the first types are those who operate from Nagpur, and the second type are us Indian Hindus who never fight and live in brotherhood.”

[Compiled by us, based on two articles in ‘The Wire’ (“After Nuh Violence, Farmers and Khap Panchayats in Mewat Stand Up Against Hate”) and ‘Newsclick’ (“Mewat Kisan Mahapanchayat: ‘If Shobha Yatra is Taken out, we Will Take out Tractor Rally’”).]