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SKM Thanks Citizens for the Overwhelming Response to Bharat Bandh Call!

Courtesy: Sabrangindia

27 Mar 2021: “[We] Samyukta Kisan Morcha [SKM] congratulate all farmers, labourers and general public for the success of March 26, 2021 Bharat Bandh. Yudhveer Singh, the farmer leader who was there with Gujarat’s farmers was arrested by state police, which we strongly condemn and oppose,” said the farmers’ group protesting on Delhi borders for the past four months.

On Friday, farmers expressed their gratitude to people who made the bandh a success by observing agitations in over 20 districts in Bihar, more than 200 places in Punjab and Haryana, along with an impressive impact in states such as Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. All supporters amplified farmers’ demands of withdrawal of the three farm laws, a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) among other demands.

“Sustaining such a long movement is not only a matter of farmers’ patience and hard work, it is also a shame for the government. Despite extreme weather conditions, farmers stayed resolute, and continue to be in high spirits,” said SKM leader Darshan Pal.

He said that farmers received news related to the shutdown from morning until evening. In Bihar major districts like Patna, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Buxar, Gaya and others observed protests on a large scale. In Uttar Pradesh, roads and markets were closed at many places including Aligarh, Shamli, Moradabad, Etawah and Sambhal. Farmers’ organizations in Kurnool and Vijayawada made the bandh a success, said leaders.

In Telangana, dozens of places including Warangal, Hanmakonda and Mehboobabad staged demonstrations. Meanwhile farmers’ demonstrations in Mysore, Gulbarga, Mandya, Ballari and Bengaluru districts in Karnataka shared hard-hitting visuals of farmers burning effigies of the three laws.

Odisha farmers from Kendrapada, Bhadrak and other areas supported the Bharat Bandh while Maharashtra farmers blocked roads in Palghar and Jalgaon regions. Other states such as Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand also observed such protests with the former blocking National Highway 62.

Many political parties, bar associations, trade unions, student organisations, democratic organizations, small traders, social and religious organisations and conscious citizens supported this bandh and made every effort for it. As a show of appreciation, the SKM extended support for trade unions, women’s organisations, transporters’ associations and others.

Students of Punjab University and State Agricultural University took out a march on the call of the SKM while the teachers union and staff supported the Bandh. At the same time, several farmer leaders and cadres were detained by the police in BJP-ruled states.

“This is a violation of the constitutional right to protest peacefully, which the Supreme Court has also stated in the context of protests of the present farmers movement. BJP-ruled governments are brazenly violating basic norms and rules in their anxiety to suppress the farmers movement,” said the SKM.

Karnataka police also arrested many protesters in Gulbarga district. The SKM strongly condemned this and the deployment of women police in civil clothes who were used to pick up scores of protesters in multiple rounds at Town Hall in Bangalore city.

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Bharat Bandh: Farmers Throng National Highways in Punjab, Haryana

Newsclick/PTI

26 Mar 2021: Farmers, workers and people from other walks of lifer gathered at several national highways, key roads and some railway tracks in Punjab and Haryana on Friday morning as part of their nationwide protest against the Centre’s new agri laws.

The call, given by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella of over 40 farmer unions, is being observed from 6 a.m to 6 p.m to mark four months of the farmers’ agitation at Delhi’s three borders — Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri.

Almost all Opposition parties, from the Left, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal among others have backed the Bharat Bandh call by SKM. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee also supported the farmers’ bandh call.

Farmer leaders said trade unions from organised and unorganised sectors, and transport and other associations too have extended support to the call for Bharat Bandh.

In the morning farmers gathered at several highways and roads in Punjab and Haryana, including in Bathinda, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Mohali, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Bhiwani districts.

A group of farmers who were holding a protest in Zirakpur and Kharar towns in Punjab, both on the outskirts of Chandigarh, said they were allowing ambulances and other emergency vehicles to pass, PTI reported from Chandigarh. Some of the protesters blocked the Ambala-Delhi highway near Ambala Cantt, police said.

While another group squatted on a railway track near Shahpur village, around five kilometers from Ambala Cantt, due to which all the trains running between Delhi and Saharanpur were stranded, railway officials said.

The farmers also blocked the Ambala-Rajpura Highway on the Haryana-Punjab border near Shambhu barrier, and the Ambala-Hisar Highway near Ambala City.

Blockades on various state highways were also reported in Naraingarh and Mullana in Haryana, police said.

“All shops, malls, markets and institutions will remain closed under complete Bharat Bandh. All minor and big roads and trains will be blocked. All services will remain suspended except for ambulance and other essential services. The effect of Bharat Bandh will be observed inside Delhi as well,” SKM had said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), apex religious body of the Sikhs, has also supported the nationwide protest.

SGPC president Jagir Kaur had said on Thursday that its offices would be kept closed on Friday in support of the Bharat Bandh.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur demanding a complete repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee for the minimum support price on their crops.

Apart from repealing of three farm laws, the demands of protesting unions include cancellation of all police cases against farmers, withdrawal of electricity and pollution bills, and reduction in prices of diesel, petrol and gas.

According to an IANS report, train services were disrupted at 32 locations in Punjab and Haryana. The Railways also cancelled four Shatabdi Express trains.

Northern Railways spokesperson Deepak Kumar said, “Agitating farmers are sitting at 32 locations across Punjab and Haryana spanning Delhi, Ambala and Firozepur division affecting rail movement,” said the report.

In Delhi, police on Friday closed both carriageways of National Highway-24 passing through the Ghazipur border in view of the ‘Bharat Bandh’.

The one side of the carriageway was earlier opened on March 15 for traffic. However, the other side from Ghaziabad towards Delhi is closed since the farmers’ protest started.

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Bharat Bandh Successful, Several Farmer Leaders Detained During Protests: SKM

Newsclick Report

26 Mar 2021: The call for a Bharat Bandh by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), barring in the states that are going to polls, saw farmer groups, backed by workers, students and youth organisations, and key Opposition parties, coming out in protest in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir among others.

The bandh call, from 6 a.m to 6 p.m, was given by SKM to mark four months of the farmers’ agitation demanding repeal of the three farm laws and seeking legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for all crops and a stop to corporatisation of agriculture.

While the protesters blocked major highways and rail tracks, the markets, shopping malls and other institutions were voluntarily closed by the traders. Transporters and different trading associations too joined the shutdown in protest of rising diesel, petrol and LPG prices. While the shutdown remained peaceful, the farmers’ leaders were detained and rounded up in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka.

The agitation, which has taken the shape of a sit-in by thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on Delhi’s borders — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — has so far seen the death of over 300 farmers.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha – a collective of farmers’ organisations – said many leaders from the front were arrested by Karnataka Police in Bengaluru and Gulbarga. Dr Darshan Pal from Morcha said that Kavita Kuruganti, Kodihalli Chandrasekhar, Bayareddy were arrested in Bengaluru when they tried to protest near Town Hall in the city.

Similarly, Gujarat Police detained Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) leader Yudhveer Singh in Ahmedabad when he was addressing a press conference about the proposed mahapanchayats in the state. Commenting on the detention, Singh said that it showed the real face of the ‘Gujarat Model’ where nobody enjoyed freedom of speech.

Mukut Singh, General Secretary, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), Uttar Pradesh was put under house arrest by the police in the morning. Talking to NewsClick, he said,” the UP administration led by CM Yogi Adityanath is trying to kill the democracy in the state. They are frightened by the farmers’ protests and have been implementing measures to contain the anger. First, they prohibited protests and assemblies on account of corona. Now, they have issued notification for panchayat elections. Overall, the bandh remained successful with impact being felt in 65 districts..”

Chhagan Lal Chaudhary, Secretary, AIKS Rajasthan told NewsClick that the bandh was successfully observed in Churu, Sikar, Jhunjhanu, Nagaur, Bikaner and other adjoining districts. “We have already freed the toll plazas in these districts. So, the farmers who are staging protest at these plazas stopped the traffic completely. We had also organised Mahapanchayats in Karauli, Dungarpur, Kota where farmers too joined the protest. Now, it is the ego of PM Modi which is stopping the government from finding any resolution. The farmers unitedly delivered their message today loud and clear.”

Roop Singh from Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan, the biggest farmers’ organisation in Punjab, said that the amount of people hitting the streets surpassed their expectations.

Talking to NewsClick, he said: “The people of entire state gave their message by coming on streets. All districts and areas, you name it, be it Mansa, Barnala, Bhikhi, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Pathankot, Fatehgarh Sahib, all were deserted. I was travelling in an ambulance to Delhi and saw this unity everywhere.”

When asked if the bandh would clear passage for resumption of suspended talks between farmers and the government, he said: ”I think it should resume because the anger among people against this arrogance is only growing. For how long, can you suppress their voices.”

The impact of the bandh was also seen Jammu and Kashmir where JK Kisan Tehrik held demonstrations across the region. While addressing the protest demonstration in Jammu, CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said that these anti-farmer and anti-poor agri-laws passed in Parliament in a brazen manner without any consultation, debate and discussion, is bound to destroy the agriculture sector and threaten India’s food security.

Punjab: Highways, Toll Plazas, Rail Tracks Blocked

In Punjab, farmers gathered at key protest sites including toll plazas, petrol pumps, railways tracks and several national highways. Shops, malls, markets, industries and other institutions remained closed.

As the broader concern of three “controversial” farm laws in the backdrop, farmers have also gathered to object against electricity Bill and four labour codes.

In Bathinda, farmers protested in three major locations including Rampur-Bathinda toll plaza, Bathinda railway station, Best Price, among others. Speaking to NewsClick, Tabinder Singh, 32, said, “We will keep protesting until these farm laws are repealed. The entire Punjab is shut today. This is a clear message to the Centre and the Punjab government that we are not going to back out.”

Roads and highways were blocked across Punjab including Ludhiana, Moga, Hoshiarpur, Jalandar, Patiala, Bathinda among others.

Pathankot district of Punjab, which is majorly a Hindu belt area with majority BJP supporters, didn’t witness a complete shutdown, but there were rumblings against the Centre’s handling of the farmers’ movement.

“This is significant considering Pathankot is a Hindu belt area and has majority of BJP supporters. Bandh observed at the highways exhibits the brewing discontent even in the Hindu belt area who are waking up of the farmers struggle,” said a protestor requesting anonymity.

Highways including Amristar-Pathankot Pathankot-Jalandar, Pathankot-Jammu, Pathankot- Himachal national highways were closed with a trail of tractors and farmers lined up.

Political commentators said that generally in urban areas like Chandigarh and others, the bandh is not observed to the fullest but what is significant is that the entry points are closed, so there is no movement.

In Ludhiana, which is the largest industrial hub, industries were forced to shut down as labourers didn’t attend to work. The sentiment in favour of the farmers’ movement was also visible among industrialists.

“Industries never like to shut down unless it is enforced of them but that doesn’t means that we are not with the farmers. We are in full support of the farmers but not with the call of shutdown as it affects our business. Major industries are closed today,” said Pankaj Sharma, Chamber of Industrial and Commerce Undertakings (CICU), Ludhiana.

In Patiala, near New Moti Bagh, farmers protestsed in front of the residence of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, alleging that he was “hand-in-glove” with the Centre.

Speaking to Newsclick, Harban Singh Madi, a farmer, said: “Our protest is not only against Centre but also against the Punjab government who is giving measly compensation to farmers who will be displaced by the government projects”, while referring to NHAI’s Delhi-Katra and Jamnagar expressway project.

UP: Many Leaders Placed Under House Arrest

In Uttar Pradesh, several farmer leaders were put under house arrest, even as protest action was more visible in the sugarcane belt in the western region of the state.

Members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) blocked roads in Muzaffarnagar as part of the 12-hour bandh, including the Delhi-Saharanpur National Highway and Muzaffarnagar-Deoband Road.

A group of farmers under the banner of BKU along with All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) also blocked the Delhi-Yamunotri highway with tractor trolleys .

To prevent farmers from participating in Bharat Bandh, scores of farmer leaders were put under “house arrest” on Thursday evening, a day before the shutdown.

Mukut Singh, secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Kisan Sabha (UPKS) was briefly put under house arrest in Etawah around 7 in the evening. Singh has been at the forefront of the protests.

“The UP police came to my house around 10:30 p.m on Thursday night and threatened me not to participate in Bharat Bandh. The next morning, police officials barged into my house and parked their van outside my house to prevent me from going outside. The cops said it was is a “precautionary” measure, and they will be here until the Bharat Bandh call gets over at 6 p.m. today,” Singh told NewsClick, adding that a dozen of farmers and leaders associated with UPKS were put under house arrest.

However, the UPKS secretary said he managed to step out and join the farmers’s protest.

Another farmer leader, Shyam Singh Chahar from Agra, said he was also detained at his residence. “The Agra police came to my house around 3 a.m in the night and left my house after 12 hours. They did not let me go outside,” Chahar told Newsclick.

At least 20 farmers and activists of CPI(ML), protesting in Sikanderpur area of Ballia were taken into custody.

The state government had made heavy deployment of police on all major roads and highways to ensure that the Bharat Bandh call was not forcibly implemented. Strict checks of vehicles at district borders are being conducted by police.

MP: Bandh Lasts 4-5 Hours in 6 Districts

Donning white kurtas with flags and sloganeering to repeal all three farm laws, farmers in nearly six districts of Madhya Pradesh carried out rallies and urged locals to support the Bharat Bandh.

In Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Rewa, Satna and Raisen shops were closed for the first four-five hours and rallies were carried out by the farmer outfits. While in cities like Mau, Jabalpur, Narsingpur, Anuppur, Guna, Neemuch and Hoshangabad, the Bharat Bandh was partially observed.

Except for the few districts, the Bandh which was backed by the Opposition parties, including Congress and trade unions, did not make much impact, except on shops, which were closed.

“The Bharat Bandh was observed in Gwalior, Bhind, Morena and Rewa where shops remained closed and workers supported the bandh,” said Badal Saroj, AIKS leader, adding that “ in nearly half a dozen districts, the bandh was partially observed.”

Convenor of Jagrit Kisan Sanghatan, Irfan Jafri, said, “The bandh was successful in Raisen district”.

Asked about the minimal impact of the bandh in MP , Jafri said this was because harvesting and preserving of wheat, chana and sarson was on its last leg.

“Majority of the farmers are busy in their fields. Besides, owing to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state, strict restrictions were imposed in all districts, including Section 144.”

Shutdown in AP, Mixed Response in Telangana

Andhra Pradesh witnessed a complete shutdown on Friday as hundreds of organisations supported the Bharat Bandh called by SKM. In neighbouring Telangana, the bandh was successful in majority of the district headquarters and mandals, except in cities, including Hyderabad.

In Andhra Pradesh, farmers, trade unionists, members of the Left parties blocked roads and appealed to the shopkeepers and small traders to voluntarily shut down their daily activities. Schools, shopping malls, cinema halls and major markets remained closed.

Besides repeal of farm laws, the protestors are also demanding withdrawal of the Electricity (amendment) bill and the four labour codes and end to privatisation of Vizag Steel Plant and other PSUs.

This was the second state-wide bandh in Andhra Pradesh in March after trade unions and political parties observed one against the privatisation of Vizag Steel Plant.

As the ruling YSRCP-led state government extended support to the bandh, members of political parties including YSRCP, Telugu Desam Party, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), Congress have joined the bandh against the policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government.

In both the Telugu states, the bandh was supported by farmers unions, agriculture workers unions, CITU, AITUC, UTF, DYFI, SFI, Kula Vivaksha Porata Samithi (KVPS), students organisations and civil society organisations.

“Although normalcy was hit, citizens have cooperated and participated in the protest demonstrations,” said K Uma Maheshwara Rao, leader of Municipal Workers in Andhra Pradesh. He said the protestors ensured that the emergency medical services remain uninterrupted.

In Telangana, massive rallies were held in all district headquarters.

“Ahead of the bandh, Telangana police put under house arrest several Left party leaders in the morning. In Nizamabad and Karimnagar districts, the police personnel detained the protesters who were blocking roads and protesting in front of the bus depots,” said T Sagar, General Secretary of Telangana Rythu Sangham.

While there was little impact of the Bandh in Hyderabad, Left parties and farmers organisations held a massive rally in the state capital.

“During the nation-wide bandh on December 8 against the farm laws, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Party has supported the protests and their ministers even participated in the road blockades. But now, the TRS leaders and the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao are remaining silent on the burning issue,” said Ravi Kumar of CPI(M). He demanded that the state government comes out clear on its stand on the farmers movement.

According to farmers’ organisations, the bandh was a complete success in Khammam and Bhadradri- Kothagudem districts in Telangana while normalcy was hit in other parts of the state.

Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam saw a complete shutdown in its urban and rural areas. The relay hunger strike by the Vishaka Ukku Parirakshana Porata Samithi continued on its 43rd day on Friday.

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Another article “Citizens observe Bharat Bandh despite fears of arrest or even the pandemic” by Vallari Sanzgiri in SabrangIndia adds:

26 Mar 2021: Southern states of India responded to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) Bharat Bandh call on March 26, 2021 with much enthusiasm and mock funeral processions of the three farm laws forcibly passed by the central government.

Karnataka’s farmer organisation had given call for state-wide protests to denounce the three farm laws. Pulling through on this promise, farmers along with trade union workers demonstrating in solidarity, marched along the streets of Mysore and Gulbarga districts.

Farmers demanded the immediate withdrawal of the laws along with a legal guarantee to Minimum Support Price (MSP). Some of the protesters walked the streets bare-chested to warn of the long-term effects of the laws on their livelihood.

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TN: Over 20,000 Peasants Gather for Mahapanchayat at Kanyakumari

Courtesy: Sabrangindia

27 Mar 2021: Over 20,000 fisher people and farmers gathered for a huge mahapanchayat at Kanyakumari town of Tamil Nadu on March 27, 2021 to support farmers’ struggle and protest the ‘Sagarmala’ port project.

While expressing solidarity with the four-month long agitation of India’s farmers, local peasants also condemned a central government- proposed project that allows the Adani Group to construct a huge port affecting millions of people in the region. To demonstrate their dissent, the 20,000 or so attendees presented a resolution to cancel the port project.

Notably, more than 300 boats associated with the gathering assembled at sea with big black flags hoisted on each mast. That southern regions participated in a “mahapanchayat” that is not traditionally practiced in southern India, shows the extent of the farmers’ movement.

During the mahapanchayat, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) President Ashok Dhawale, Kisan Sangharsh Committee (KSC) Convener Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu, National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) General Secretary Olencio Simos addressed the gathering. All speakers lamented the allegedly corrupt quartet of Modi-Shah-Ambani-Adani.

“They are responsible not only for the proposed port, but also for the three agricultural laws, four black labor codes and Electricity Bill,” said a speaker and encouraged attendees to “wipe out” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the April 6 State Assembly elections and the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha by-elections on the same day.

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Farmers’ Press Conference in Ahmedabad Stopped by Police, Leaders Detained

Damayantee Dhar

26 Mar 2021: Ahmedabad Police barged in to a press conference held by farmers in Ahmedabad on March 26 and detained several farmer leaders who were addressing the public.

Amongst the detained are Yudhvir Singh, national general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union; Gajendra Singh from Dharti Putra Trust; JK Patel from Jagatat Foundation and local farmers from Gujarat.

Yudhvir Singh was still speaking to media when he was whisked away by the police who stated that the farmers did not have permission to hold the press conference.

“This is wrong. This is dictatorship. It is not a crime to talk to the press,” said Yudhvir Singh while police began whisking him and other farmers’ leaders from the press conference venue in Motera, Ahmedabad.

The leaders had come to Gujarat to discuss issues of farmers of Gujarat and BKU leader Rakesh Tikait’s pending visit to Gujarat. The press conference was organised to announce a series of programmes organised by farmers in Gujarat from April 4 to 5 in which BKU Rakesh Tikait and other leaders from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha are to be present. The programme constitute ‘Kisan Sambad Sthal’ to be held on April 4 at Palanpur, Banaskantha district in North Gujarat and in Bardoli in South Gujarat on April 5.

Congress and Patidar leader Hardik Patel had invited Tikait to Gujarat a month ago following which the BKU leader had announced that he will visit Gujarat for a series of farmers’ programmes.

“Gujarat government should wake up and listen to issues of the farmers,” said JK Patel while in police detention. Patel is a member of the Jagatat Foundation, a Gujarat based farmers’ body.

Describing the “farmer’s experience in Modi’s Gujarat”, a press release by Samyukt Kisan Morcha read, “According to NSSO (National Sample Survey Organisation), number of farmers who have become landless have increased from 3.55 lakh to 17 lakh from the year 2001 to 2011. Another issue is that of lack of irrigation facility. Water from Narmada is being diverted for industrialists and into Sabarmati in Ahmedabad for beautification of the river front. Modi government has been representing the corporate sector and not the interest of farmers. We urge farmers of Gujarat to join us with farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra.”

(Courtesy: NewsClick.)

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Bhagat Singh in Mind, Marching Workers, Farmers Pledge to Fight On

Ronak Chhabra, Ravi Kaushal

23 Mar 2021, New Delhi: The march or padyatra that had begun from a town in Haryana five days ago, with both farmers and workers demanding their rights, culminated at the Tikri Border on Tuesday, March 23, the martyrdom day of revolutionary freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Suhkdev and Rajguru.

In Palwal, the day was market by a padyatra that had started from Mathura on March 19 culminating in a gathering on Tuesday. The march headed toward the Tikri border.

Similarly, in the national capital’s North West border, Singhu, there was a sea of yellow turbans and dupattas, with slogans renting the air: ‘We will defend your legacy with all our might’. Batches of women could be seen pouring in from neighbouring districts of Sonipat and Panipat in Haryana.

A common thread running through the padyatras was a people’s festival — drawing inspiration from Bhagat Singh and his comrades for a revolutionary struggle for rights — where all could raise their voice and renew their vows to realise the dream of a land where hunger and destitution does not exist.

The significance of this ‘people’s festival’ unfolding at the entry gates of the national capital, where farmers have been camping for over four months now demanding repeal of three farm laws, could not be missed.

March 23 is the 90th death anniversary of Sukhdev, Rajguru and Bhagat Singh, of whom the latter has a stockpile of essays under his authorship on the exploitation of farmers and workers. The call to commemorate Bhagat Singh at Delhi’s borders was given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella group spearheading the ongoing farmer’s agitation

The padyatra was held under the aegis of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the Centre of Indian Trade Unions and All India Agricultural Workers Union, who also appealed to people to bring economic activities to a halt for a day on March 26 in protest. However, it was the composition of those who marched that showed the widening of what began as a farmers’ movement and has grown into a “mass movement”, said some of leaders. There was noticeable participation of youths from different occupations.

Tikri: Joining Hands for a Better Future

A worker in his 30s, employed in a private company, a graduate student, and a former construction worker were the cases in point, standing out as examples of those who are linked with farming, but not entirely dependent on it. They were all there, driven by their respective fears, to participate in the protest.

“Bas kheti kar ke toh guzara karna namumkin ho gaya hai (It has become difficult to survive on farming alone),” was what Manoj said when asked why he was protesting.

A 31-year-old security guard in a private firm in Rohtak, Manoj has been marching with the caravan since three days. On Tuesday, while speaking to NewsClick, he said it was the lack of any stable income source that had led him to join the march.

“My father owns two kila of land, produce from which is not sufficient to sell in the market. I had completed Bachelor’s in polytechnic, but failed to secure a job. Which is why I had to take up the guard’s job,” said Manoj, who makes around Rs. 8,000 per month, after toiling for over 10 hours a day.

Manoj said many people who had gathered at the borders of Delhi borders were fearing a similar fate. “The farmers will be left without their lands, their livelihood – forced to take up jobs in exchange of meagre salaries. Ask me, it is a life filled with hardships and without any stability,” he added.

While low-paying jobs haunted some youth, many others were haunted by the spectre of growing unemployment.

“On the one hand, the government is driving out people from the agriculture sector by making it less profitable, while on the other hand, there are no jobs in the market. Take the case of Haryana. There is corruption at each level of recruitment – one has to wait for years before being considered for a joining,” said Sakib Bhatti, a first year graduate student at Rohtak’s Maharishi Dayanand University.

Bhatti added: “My father is a farmer, who owns two kila of land. I can’t join him since farming is no longer profitable. That’s why, I am marching since four days to let this government know that there are many more young people like me.”

Kamlesh Lahli, 38, a former construction worker, who is now a full-time activist with CITU, said: “The BJP government’s policies are today being protested not just by farmers but by workers, government employees and others. However, the ‘anti-people’ government is still not paying any heed.”

Lahli, who had also contested the 2019 Haryana Assembly election from Kalanaur town in Rohtak district on Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) ticket – though she failed – argued that the condition of women is even worse in today’s India.

Meanwhile, at Tikri Border, the SKM stage was managed by the youth, where the farmers-workers were given a warm welcome. Remembering the martyrs, numerous slogans rent the air.

One among that, which summed up the protesters’ resolve was, “Shaheedon tumhari soch ko manzil tak le jayenge (Martyrs, we will take your thoughts to their destination).”

Singhu: ‘We are on right side of history’

The desire to be at the forefront of the struggle brought 102-years-old Ajit Singh from Naseerpur village in Gurdaspur, who said he had not seen anything like the ongoing movement even when he had participated in the national movement. “This is unparalleled. All I can do is to appeal to the people who have still not participated in it, to come to borders and serve. It’s a matter of life and death.”

Six-year-old Harjasneet Kaur has been participating in the daily dharnas on roundabouts in Chandigarh. Her poem, which she recites frequently, says that only those are remembered who challenged tyranny in their times.

Major Singh Punnawal, secretary of the Kul Hind Kisan Sabha, who led the massive march of farmers waving red flags from Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village Khatkar Kalan in Punjab’s Nawanshahar, said governments may have forgotten the freedom fighters and iconic heroes, remembering them only as a ritual, but the common people have not forgotten their real heroes.

“He (Bhagat Singh) is not a mere youth icon. He himself belonged to a farmers’ family and his uncle Ajit Singh awakened people by saying ‘Pagdi Sambhal Jatta (Take care of your turban)’ when the British colonialists had introduced the Punjabi Land Colonisation Bill, Babri Doab Canal Act and Punjab Alienation Act. You are seeing farmers, labourers, agricultural workers in this march. Why would they march on foot for so long ? It is only because the dream of a land where discrimination does not exist, where farmers get just remuneration for their hard labour appeals to them,” Punnawal said.

Amid slogans of Narendra Modi losing and victory of farmers, Savita who heads the All India Democratic Women’s Association in Haryana, said the women are not merely raising slogans for the march. “We are convinced that we will win because we are on the right side of history. Dictators and despots enjoy unlimited power in every age but it is people who compelled tyrants like Hitler to commit suicide. We might be struggling now but for how long can they ignore our voices. Leaders of BJP and Jannayak Janata Party cannot enter their own villages. In the past, too, we saw victory because of our struggles. So, it is struggles that give us that hope,” she said.

Holding a poster stating ‘One needs conscience for struggle, not estates and manors’, Mankeet Singh, who came from Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab, expressed his wish to realise the democracy envisioned by Bhagat Singh.

Talking to NewsClick, he said: “The freedom fighters gave up their lives because they wanted a democratic India where citizens could express themselves without any fear and question their government. Sadly, we are slipping into a dictatorship where protests by farmers and workers do not perturb the government. It is so bad that the main Opposition party, too, has relinquished its primary job.”

However, Singh is firm that the government cannot ignore the protest for long. “We will make them listen to us through our actions. Peaceful, but solid. The complete bandh of March 26 is one such action. We have started talking to traders, shopkeepers and people running small businesses. They have assured us that they will observe a complete bandh. We ourselves will be blocking the roads from morning to evening.”

(Courtesy: NewsClick.)

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Martyrdom Day Brings Together Jawans and Kisans

Courtesy: Sabrangindia

23 Mar 2021: Young farmers, leaders and supporters came together sites to “demonstrate their power to shape the future, in memory of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev and other revolutionary comrades” on March 23, 2021 on the ocassion of Shaheed Diwas, said the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM).

Thousands of young activists gathered for conferences held at various protest sites in memory of people who died during the on-going farmers’ struggle against the three central farm laws and for a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP).

“More than 60 youths addressed farmers during the program that started at 11 AM. Speakers described the current regime as anti-farmer and anti-worker,” said SKM leader Harmeet Singh Kadiyan, participating in the four-month long protest.

In a press release, he explained how India’s youth have been gathering at different borders since March 22 using different means of transport. Some of the youngsters also arrived with the three padayatras (marches) headed towards Delhi borders. This included Palwal, where hundreds of farmers and youth observed Martyrdom Day.

Farmers hailed the participation of young women in the Tuesday event. Kadiyan said women were breaking gender barriers by challenging the government with “sharp words.” Accordingly, women leaders from Haryana said that freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s dreams of freedom were still unfulfilled. They pointed out how he had warned Indians that the country would be truly independent only when the exploitation of farmers and labourers ends. They also presented Bhagat Singh’s views on the international conspiracy of exploitation of farmers and labourers.

Meanwhile, participants at the Ghazipur border, especially from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, pledged to make the movement successful by following Bhagat Singh’s ideas. Many Delhi student organisations reached out among farmers and extended their support.

Similarly, Haryana youth at the Tikri border questioned the government on education, employment and highlighted the need for farmer-worker unity. Young leaders who spoke on the main stage said that India’s youth is ready to sacrifice everything to secure the demands of the movement because “it is now a question of their very existence.”

Grateful for their active participation, the SKM thanked the young participants for enthusiastically and passionately holding the government accountable for the injustice on farmers.

Later on, farmers collected soil from historical places associated with martyrs such as Sunam, Khatkar Kalan, Shri Anandpur Sahib, Shri Fatehgarh Sahib, Sarabha, Jallianwala Bagh, Hussainiwala, Shri Chamkaur Sahib and brought it to Singhu and Tikri borders. Punjab Students Union leader Amandeep Singh, Naujawan Bharat Sabha leader Karamjeet, Kirti Kisan Union Youth Wing leader Bhupinder Longowal and student leader Vicky Maheshwari promised to bring the soil to Delhi.

In other parts of India, such as Bhavnagar district in Gujarat, the Khedut Samaj organised a programme in memory of martyrs. Hyderabad farmers announced a mashal juloos on Tuesday evening. Jaipur farmers organised an event that received a huge footfall.

Further, a mega rally was organized in Khatkar Kalan, the village of late Bhagat Singh. Speaking at the rally, a youth said that whenever India is hit by a crisis, Punjab’s youth will fight for human rights by sacrificing everything.

In Ekouni district of Bihar, the Ambedkar Library was inaugurated and plantation was done in memory of the martyrs, along with speeches and cultural programs in support of the farmers’ movement.

On the call of the SKM, the Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh, organized a motorcycle march. Regarding future protests, farmers and labourers of Narmada Valley promised to participate in the Mitti Satyagraha Yatra on March 30 starting from Dandi village in Gujarat, known for the first historic Dandi march.

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Punjab: On Day of Bhagat Singh’s Martyrdom, Farmers’ Unions Bridge Differences

Kusum Arora

24/Mar/2021, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district: The day of revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom – March 23 – is celebrated every year, but this time there was something different about it.

Farmers who believe in his ideology, unparalleled spirit of self-sacrifice and fearlessness in India’s freedom struggle, gathered on Tuesday not only to protest against the three farm laws but also scripted a new chapter by bridging the differences between various factions of unions which had developed after the January 26 violence during the tractor march in Delhi.

At the ‘Kisan Mazdoor Ekta Mahasabha’, organised by Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba) in the Banga sub-division of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, farmer unions, Dalit religious leaders, Panthic bodies (Sikh religious groups), preachers, singers, actors from the Punjabi music and film industry came together with one common intention: to stay united against the Narendra Modi government’s refusal to repeal the three “black laws”.

The development assumes significance as farmer unions were left divided following the January 26 violence. However, Tuesday’s massive gathering comprising of a large number of farmers gave a much-needed fillip to the ongoing farmers’ agitation. Interestingly, women and youth outnumbered men in the rally.

Talking to The Wire, Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal said that the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) was discussing and formulating a policy to ensure that different groups like panthic figures, religious leaders and film and other personalities can also be allowed to provide support to the farmers. “We are creating an atmosphere to ensure that all these groups come closer to the farmers’ movement. And for the past six-seven days, the situation is becoming conducive,” he said.

Pal said that as the farmers prepare for the long haul, motivational forces should be allowed to join, while the farmers’ leadership should also evolve. He said that the movement has forced the Modi government to rethink a law made by it for the first. Despite prolonged protests, this government was able to push through other controversial legislation such as the Citizen Amendment Act, he said.

“[This itself] is an achievement in a broader context, but the real victory will only come when these three farm laws are scrapped,” he added.

Bhartiya Kisan Union president Balbir Singh Rajewal praised the youth for providing “strength” to the protest. “We all need to be united in this fight. Apart from many threats, we should be wary of the [BJP] IT cell, which has been working merely to defame us and derail our movement,” he said.

Interestingly, the initiative for Tuesday’s rally was taken by renowned Punjabi singer and youth icon Babbu Mann, who is a name to reckon with in the Punjabi music industry. He was present at the rally along with a host of Punjabi singers.

Tony Sandhu, general secretary of the Major League Kabbadi Federation, Rurka Kalan village in Jalandhar, was also among the organisers. He said, “It was Babbu Mann’s initiative to hold a rally to bring all the groups together. The idea was to shun differences and unite hands for the cause of the farmers. We are glad at the response our rally got, it is a new beginning today.”

Earlier, Punjabi actor and ace cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj Singh received a thumping response when he urged the farmers to form their own political party instead of looking to traditional political parties.

He said, “We have 117 assembly seats in Punjab, why don’t you form your own party? You will have to fight the upcoming elections. Why can’t farmers have their own cold storages? Why should we look up to Ambanis and Adanis? It is our crop, our work. Why should the corporates decide the prices of our yield? Find a leader among yourself and get ready to fight the 2022 Punjab assembly elections. If you want to save Punjab, we will have to form a ‘farmers’ government’.”

Notably, the rally was scheduled to be held at Bhagat Singh’s native village Khatkar Kalan in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district. However, the venue was changed following rains and thunderstorm and was instead held at the grain market in the Banga sub-division of the district.

Earlier in the day, Hardeep Singh Dibdiba, the grandfather of Navreet Singh, who died during the Republic Day violence, and Major General (retd) Shahbeg Singh’s brother Beant Singh Khiala and his niece actress Sonia Mann also spoke on the occasion.

Massive response from the youth

A large number of youngsters came on tractors, decorated with Bhagat Singh’s photographs, the national flag and flags of farmers’ unions. Many others were seen in T-shirts that had Bhagat Singh’s photos and wore the customary yellow turban, while the women wore yellow dupattas.

Sukhchain Singh and Manjit Singh, both from the Kahri Sahri village in Hoshiarpur district, told The Wire at the rally, “We identify with Bhagat Singh’s ideology. He sacrificed his life for the country at the age of 23. Even our farmers have laid down their lives for the sake of their lands, existence and identity. Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom is yet another motivation for us.”

Jodhvir Singh (25), a resident of Moela Wahidpur village in Hoshiarpur district, said that earlier, they used to come to rallies for political leaders. This year, they came for a common cause: to preserve their livelihood and identity. “We want to take Bhagat Singh’s ideology forward. All these years, we kept supporting political leaders but look how we have been ruined by the Modi government. Our lands are under attack, petrol and diesel prices are touching the sky and we are on the street to protest against this government. We came wilfully to attend today’s rally,” he said.

Another farmer, Harpreet Singh from Garhshankar, said that Bhagat Singh was also the son of a farmer and “so are we”. He added, “He died fighting for the sake of the country and farmers are dying too. We have relatives and friends abroad, who are deeply concerned about the fate of these protests, as their landholdings are at risk because of these farm laws. Since the government is in no mood to listen to the farmers, we have decided to wipe them out in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.”

Kamaljit Singh and his friends, who had come from Mohali, said that Bhagat Singh’s actions have inspired them to stand by the farmers. “We also went to the Singhu border to take part in the farmers’ agitation. History is repeating itself and we are glad to contribute in whatever way we can,” they said.

(Courtesy: The Wire.)