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Haryana Farmers Fight Govt ‘Arrogance’ with Mahapanchayats, Pay Tribute to Sir Chhotu Ram

Ravi Kaushal

17 Feb 2021: Dressed in white kurta, dhoti, pagdi, and carrying a plough on his shoulder, Dr Paramjit travelled about 40 kilometres on foot, accompanied by a child who is his nephew from Rohtak to reach Sir Chhotu Ram Memorial in Haryana’s Sampla. He undertook the strenuous journey to attend the ‘mahapanchayat’ called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha — a collective of farmers’ unions. Paramjit said that he travelled through villages and narrow alleys in towns to raise awareness about the implications of the three recently enacted farm laws.

Paramjit, a physiotherapist by profession, told NewsClick that ignorance and arrogance, on part of the central government, were only enraging the farmers and pushing them to show their strength in the large assemblies called ‘mahapanchayats’, which are now being organised every other day across Haryana.

“The government is behaving as if the country is now a property of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. One day they call you names, another day you are branded as terrorists. And they are conveniently forgetting that their own party came into power through a movement, a mode of protest, which they now despise, he said. He also condemned Haryana Agriculture Minister J P Dalal’s recent statement, in which the BJP leader said that the farmers, who died during the agitation, would have met the same fate at their homes too. Responding to the question if he sensed restlessness in the ruling BJP even though it is reluctant in repealing the laws, he said, “Of course there is restlessness. They cannot do their public meetings in Haryana now. The party is asking its cadres to limit their movement. It is another matter that they are testing our patience now.”

Amidst the vociferous opposition to the laws, the assembly of about ten thousand farmers, remembering Jat reformer Chaudhari Chhotu Ram on his birthday, showed the changing dynamics on the ground regarding participation and discussion revolving around the policies. The site is now full of women participants from neighbouring villages who have their own reasons to be part of the historic movement. Suman, who came from Rohad, told NewsClick, “We are remembering Chhotu Ram because his legacy is being snatched from us. The struggle today is not only for saving the land from corporates but also ensuring fair prices of produce for farmers, both rights which were given to us during his time.”

Chaudhary Chhotu Ram, who was a prominent lawyer, journalist and administrator, is revered among the farmers of Haryana and Punjab for the pro-peasant reforms he introduced in the pre-Independence India. Among the notable interventions, Ram introduced Punjab Relief of Indebtedness Act, 1938, which gave relief to farmers from paying the loans if he has paid the interest amount twice. It also banned the auction of milch animals if the farmers were not able to pay the loaned amount. However, the biggest reform came in the form of Punjab Restitution of Mortgaged Lands Act, 1938, which mandated the return of impounded properties by the moneylenders prior to June 8, 1901, to farmers. He is also credited with bringing the law for establishment of agriculture produce markets that freed the farmers from clutches of middlemen and ensured better rates for produce.

Furthering her argument, Suman said, “The government is increasing the price of items, which should be reduced. The price of diesel is increasing day by day. The LPG cylinder’s price too has gone up by Rs 50. Then, why do they not increase the prices of our crop? We are sitting here because he [the prime minister] compelled us to hit the roads. So, it is only the PM who would repeal the laws. Sooner he understands it, better it is for him and us.”

Sitting beside Suman, Mukesh Devi too complains about the government apathy towards farmers who fed the country during the pandemic. “No one dared to step out of home when the coronavirus was raging. It is us who produced the food. It is close to three months and 200 farmers have died during the agitation. Is this how he is planning to double our income?” she asked.

When asked if they discuss politics at home and the changes the struggle brought in their lives, Suman said, “Obviously, we discuss politics. It is no longer the prerogative of men. We mutually decided that we would vote BJP because the party promised what we have been demanding for long i.e. prices of crops as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. The only change I feel is that we are sitting on roads instead of our homes.”

However, a group of young boys, sitting behind the main stage, believe the struggle is also shaping anti-casteism politics in the state. One of them said, “Celebrating Chhotu Ram also means renewed commitment to fight casteism. Brahminism, as practised by those with vested interests and those who made it impossible for people to know about Ram who dedicated his life to these causes. Despite wide-ranging reforms, he is invisible in our school curriculum. But bonds between communities are being revived now. For example, this assembly was organised by the Ahlawat Khap but the support came from all sections of the society.”

However, everyone in the assembly was keen to listen to Rakesh Tikait, the show-stopper for rallies now. Tikait, in his usual wit, said that the ignorance regarding farming not only persists in ruling parties but the bureaucracy too. He said, “I was member in one of the committees of the central government for determining the fair prices of crops and attended 22 meetings. The officers kept repeating that the farmers should be compensated for 165 days because they used ox only for seasons. I asked if the ox did not eat anything for the rest of the year. This is their level of ignorance.” Tikait, throughout his speech, remained defiant and said, “The mahapanchayats will happen across the country. We are seeing unprecedented unity of farmers. It began from Punjab but Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are all one in this fight no matter what. My humble request is to keep up the momentum. Remember, it is these mahapanchayats which will decide the fate of the country’s farmers.”

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Farmers’ Agitation Is Intensifying in India’s Villages

Ravi Kaushal

16 Feb 2021: With summer setting in, the scorching heat is hardly bearable in the tarpaulin tents of the farmers stationed at the National Highway 48. The passing traffic and the dust storm it creates covers everything with its brown particles. The camp of farmers agitating against recently enacted farm laws have now relatively less participants.

However, a quick conversation with the farmers from Rajasthan clear the air around participation and future strategy for 80-day long movement continuously spreading across the country.

Arun Bishnoi from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan maintained that the strategy for furthering the struggle is now aimed at intensification of the movement in villages. Talking to NewsClick, he said, “There are two basic reasons why farmers have returned to the villages. The immediate reason being that the crop of mustard is ready to be cut in a month. But the larger point is about spreading the movement in rural areas where farmers are still unaware about dreadful impact of the laws.”

He added, “Please remember that we are fighting a mighty government which holds complete control over news channels. This is why, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha called for organising Mahapanchayats wherever possible to awaken the people. We can show our strength here at borders but there is no point sitting here. Not all people can come here but they will certainly come to tehsil and street meetings. At present, we are planning to organise mahapanchayats in Bikaner, Churu, Sri Ganganagar, Sikar and Hanumangarh. We are expecting the mahapanchayat in Sikar will see at least one lakh people’s participation.”

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha- a collective of farmers’ unions – has called for mahapanchayats in Hanumangarh and Sikar on February 18 and 23, respectively. Bishnoi, a long time Bharatiya Janata Party supporter, is also enraged at the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the reported death of 233 farmers in the movement. He said, “He (Modi) is pained that a few people dismantled the mobile towers of Jio but does not shed a tear for died farmers. This is sheer hypocrisy!”

R.S. Punia, another farmer sitting beside Bishnoi, cracks jokes at intervals. Talking about the concertina wire, cement blocks and containers which have put up as hurdles on the highway, Punia said, “In ancient times, the kings used to dig up trenches around the fort to save it from the enemies. Today, he (Modi) has put up similar barricades as if we are coming to invade his fort.”

He added that contract farming, as facilitated by one of the laws, is not new to the farmers in the region. “We have been growing barley for several companies which specialises in beer making. The companies have ditched the farmers even when they promised a certain rate under the bond. A similar scenario exists in government mandis where the mandi board would not accept more than 25 quintals per acre for moong, gram and mustard.”

Bishnoi intervened to say, “Rajasthan does not have any tradition of Mahapanchayat. But we are also organising them because we need to expose several lies related with farmers. One of the lies is that we do not pay any tax. The fact is at one time we were charged 28% on agricultural implements. But now it is 18% only for pesticides. The subsidy is being reduced continuously and the diesel prices are too up. We need diesel for seven months in a year, either for tractor or tubewell. Does he (PM Modi) not understand our plight?”

Away from the tent, Mohan Singh carefully looks after distribution of medicines at one of the medical camps. Singh, a retired army man hailing from Sikar, said that farmers have already freed and are now camping at 12 toll points located in the district, which include two national highways and 10 state highways.

“We are conducting small panchayats in villages, too, to inform the people about the laws. The ultimate aim is to bring people who are still out of struggle’s ambit,” he said. When asked if there was any specific reason other than spreading awareness about the laws, Singh replied, “We are nowadays calling it mahapanchayat but we did block the roads for 13 days and compelled the government to waive off Rs 8,000 crore loan of farmers in Sikar earlier.”

He went on to add, “Similarly, Churu is the only district in India where insurance coverage for damaged crops is 60%. Rest of the districts have 40% limit. So, the historical experience of such struggles is that farmers have always won. The farmers get confidence from the struggles of Sir Chhotu Ram and Devi Lal too. In essence, these meetings are preparing farmers for the long haul.”

Talking about the panchayat meetings called by the Congress party, he said, “We are bearing the brunt of its inaction. Had they implemented the Swaminathan Commission report’s suggestions, we would have been sitting peacefully in our homes. Now, it is wandering to save its face.”

Sitting by the fire in the evening, B S Meel from All India Kisan Sabha argued that the troubles would only mount for BJP if it does not find an amicable solution.

On being asked if he thinks that the saffron party is getting restless, he said, “Obviously there is restlessness not only in BJP but in the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh too. It was also visible when second-in-command of RSS, Bhaiyaji Joshi, said that the government should soon find a solution. Now, the Budget session is over and everyone is waiting for resumption of talks.”

“The more it delays the talks, the more problems it will have to face. Secondly, Patels are one of the largest agrarian communities in Gujarat and there is already discontent in them. So, we are expecting to see unprecedented unity of communities in the coming days. Moreover, the struggle is not limited to farmers. It a movement of common people who have waged the struggle to reclaim democracy,” he added.

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Purvanchal Farmers to Hold Mahapanchayat in Barabanki Following Successful Mobilisation in West UP

Abdul Alim Jafri

13 Feb 2021: After the massive turnout at the kisan mahapanchayats in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Mathura, and Shamli against the contentious farm laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has now announced to hold its first-ever farmers’ mahapanchayat on February 25 in Eastern UP’s Barabanki district, also known as Purvanchal — barely 30 km from the state capital.

Thousands of farmers from Lucknow and Ayodhya divisions are expected to gather at Barabanki in a show of strength and demand a total repeal of the three laws.

As per SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farmers’ unions protesting at various borders of Delhi against the three farm laws, a five-member of the committee has been formed for the mahapanchayat in Barabanki. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) state vice-president Harinam Singh Verma and other BKU members including Ram Kishor Verma, Uttam Patel and Rambaran Verma have been given the responsibility to mobilise farmers of the region and organise a peaceful farmers’ congregation.

BKU president Naresh Tikait and his son Gaurav Tikait (national president of BKU’s youth wing) are also expected to join the mahapanchayat.

Harinam Singh Verma told NewsClick that he was confident the mahapanchayat in Barabanki would draw large crowds even though farmers in Purvanchal, being hit by agrarian crises, have limited resources in comparison to their western UP counterparts.

“This is the biggest revolution in India since Independence and unfortunately for the last 70 years, farmers of this country have been forced to keep demanding for guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops but it has not been fulfilled yet. The procurement of crops at MSP has always been a major issue for farmers in Purvanchal. It was a major demand of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, too. Therefore, farmers of Eastern UP have decided to step out in large numbers and join the movement.” Verma told NewsClick, adding that the ruling BJP which is in power because of the farmers’ vote will lose the elections if it does accept the demand of the farmers.

Verma also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his ‘andolan jeevi‘ remarks and said that BKU has always raised its voice against agrarian crisis, and if that is wrong, then they were proud to be ‘andolan jeevi’.

Highlighting that the SKM’s call for a protest at the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow on January 23 saw an overwhelming response with the participation of around 600 tractors at a short notice of four days, Verma added, “This shows that the people are annoyed and they would show their strength through the maha panchayats in Purvanchal.”

On being asked what would be the strategy if the government or district administration prevents them from organising the mahapanchayat, he said, “People were executed in British India by hanging for demanding independence, but they continued their struggle. So FIRs, notices and legal threat can not deter them from protesting for their rights.”

Meanwhile, Digamber Singh, BKU’s youth wing state president, who kicked off the first mahapanchayat on January 29 in Muzzaffarnagar under the supervision of outfit president Naresh Tikait said that the farmer leaders of Purvanchal regions are requesting to hold mahapanchayats in their regions after successful mobilisation of farmers for the Raj Bhavan ‘gherao’ programme on January 23 and multiple mahapanchayats in West UP.

“After continuous demands, this was discussed in meetings of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and we decided that we should have such ‘mahapanchayats’ across Uttar Pradesh against the three farm laws,” Singh told NewsClick.

He further said that it’s necessary to organise such congregations in Eastern UP so that government’s “misconception” that only the farmers of Punjab and Haryana are in this “battle” will be dispelled and asserted that now the Yogi Adityanath-led government will witness a massive gathering of farmers in every scheduled mahapanchayat in Purvanchal.

Meanwhile, after Barabanki, mahapanchayats will be held in Prayagraj, the Chief Minister’ bastion Gorakhpur, Basti, Fatehpur and Mirzapur.

The farmer leaders in Uttar Pradesh are seeing these back to back mahapanchayats as the revival of the farmers’ protest which came under scanner after Republic Day violence. “Let the mahapanchayat begin in Purvanchal once, we will create history and we will not be silent until the government rolls back the three laws,” Harbali Yadav, a farmer from Lucknow told NewsClick.

(All reports courtesy: NewsClick.)