The historic nationwide farmers struggle that began on November 26 entered the fourth week on December 17. It was intensified and broadened even further after the unprecedented support that was expressed by the people of India through the Bharat Bandh on December 8.

For the first time since the neo-liberal policies began three decades ago, all sections of the peasantry have united as never before against the three Farm Acts, against the rapacious corporate lobby, both Indian and foreign, and against the BJP-RSS central government that is acting as their servile agent. This protracted struggle has united the poor, middle and even large sections of the rich peasantry. The working class, which has itself been hit by the four Labour Codes imposed by the centre has rallied to the support of the peasantry in its struggle. Large sections of the middle classes are also backing the valiant fight of their ‘annadatas’. Women, youth and students from all these classes are standing in solidarity with the struggle.

The last week saw another series of massive peasant actions one after the other, as per the call of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) given on December 9, just after the Bharat Bandh and after the SKM had unanimously rejected the written proposals of the central government.

Struggle Intensified

First, there is a massive increase in the number of farmers gathering on the borders of the nation’s capital. Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh are freshly joining the mahapadavs at the Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Palwal borders where four national highways coming to Delhi have been blocked.

Second, the last national highway from Jaipur to Delhi, which was still open, was also blocked by thousands of farmers under the leadership of the AIKSCC on December 13. A large share of those who blocked this highway were farmers from Rajasthan and Haryana and Anganwadi workers from Punjab. They have now been joined by activists from Gujarat. Some other farmers’ organisations have also contributed to the blockade.

Third, the AIKS Maharashtra state council which held its online meeting on December 14, has decided to mobilise peasants in large numbers from all over the state and join the mahapadav at the Rajasthan-Haryana border. They will begin their 1,300 km vehicle march with a huge rally at Nashik on December 21. Hectic preparations are on to make this march a great success.

Fourth, thousands of farmers in various parts of the country picketed hundreds of toll plazas and refused to pay the toll on December 12. This action elicited an enthusiastic mass response.

Fifth, lakhs of farmers gathered around Delhi observed one day fast on December 14. This fast came after the farmers faced and fought severe repression in the form of water cannons, tear gas shells, lathi charges and arrests at the hands of the BJP governments in Haryana and at the centre, and after braving the biting December cold for the last three weeks.

Sixth, the nationwide call for demonstrations at all district and tehsil centres on December 14 got a massive response from lakhs of farmers in almost all states across the country. After the continuous mass actions on November 26, December 3, December 5 and the December 8 Bharat Bandh, this fifth countrywide action in three weeks blew to smithereens the government’s motivated claim that this struggle is confined to only two or three states. On December 16, a massive West Bengal peasant rally has been organised by the AIKSCC in Kolkata.

On December 14, apart from the huge mass actions everywhere, MLAs and MLCs of several political parties waved a large red banner in the premises of the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhawan on the opening day of the state assembly’s winter session in Mumbai, demanding the immediate repeal of the three Farm Acts and supporting the countrywide farmers struggle.

Seventh, the countrywide call to boycott Ambani and Adani products and services has struck a chord and is being well responded to in several states. Farmers and other sections of the people have led large demonstrations outside Reliance and Adani outlets in many states. Social media channels are being used in a big way to popularise this campaign.

Call For Homage Meetings On December 20

It is tragic that over 30 farmers have died while taking part in the struggle on the borders of Delhi. And yet the callous and cynical BJP central government refuses to respond to the one-point demand of farmers for the repeal of the three Farm Acts and the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill.

The SKM which met on December 15 has given a nationwide call to hold public meetings between 11 am and 1 pm on December 20 to pay homage to all these martyrs of the farmers struggle. There is no doubt that this call will get a massive response across the country.

Army Veterans Plan To Return Gallantry Medals

In a very significant move, as reported by ‘The Hindu’ on December 13, Army veterans from Punjab and Haryana who are camping at the Singhu border have collected over 5,000 gallantry medals since November 26 to return to the central government. They plan to collect 25,000 such medals in the next few days. Some extracts from the above report are eye-openers.

Eighty year-old retired Havaldar Balwant Singh from Jhajjar in Haryana said, “I come from a family of jawans and kisans, which have eight martyrs, either in war or at the border. I was proud of that fact, but because of what the government is doing now, it has begun feeling like this country is no longer worth living in, leave alone to die for. We have been here since the November 26th and the government, instead of listening to us, is busy finding ways to force upon us, these black laws created by people in air-conditioned rooms.”

Retired Subedar S P Singh from Gurdaspur in Punjab said some six farmers were detained when they had attempted to meet President Ram Nath Kovind to return a small batch of medals last week. Retired HavaldarBartar Singh from Patiala alleged that the group of veterans was detained for two whole days and their phones and belongings were confiscated. He said, “I was a soldier earlier but even before that, I was a labourer and a farmer. We are willing to sacrifice these medals in return for a repeal of the black laws…They kept us in detention for two whole days thinking that we will go back home, but the first thing we did after being released this morning was to come back here to join the protest.”

Retired Naik Kapil Dev from Haryana said, “These medals were given not for entertainment but for valour, for coming face to face with death, through sweat and blood and tears, but the jawan is ready to let them go for a better future for the farmer.”

Government Callousness Continues

Living in its own world far away from such voices from the ground, and cosying up to the corporates who help it win elections through money and media power, the callousness of the BJP-RSS central government continue unabated. Its leaders have tried, with no success whatsoever, to defame, discredit and divide the farmers movement for the last three weeks.

First, they accused the farmers of being influenced by Khalistanis. Then they alleged that they were instigated by Pakistan and China. After that, they accused them of being led by Maoists and Naxalites. In spite of the Godi media hurling such Goebbelsian charges ad nauseam, they have been rejected with contempt by the people of India, whose support has kept growing.

Realising that its defamatory campaign was becoming counter-productive in the face of massively mounting protests, the government tried a new tack. Propping up some of its own agents (‘dalals’ is a much better and more accurate word) as so-called farmers’ organisations, it held negotiations with them. Like a command performance, they duly supported all the three Farm Acts. The RSS-led Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) were also brought in to make noises opposing the farmers struggle. None of this is working one bit.

In a feeble attempt to draw attention away from the farmers’ struggle, on December 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi with much fanfare laid the foundation stone for the new parliament building. He used all his usual empty phrases of our “democratic legacy”, “reflecting India’s aspirations” and “being always accountable to people and the Constitution”.

It was the classic RSS-BJP fascistic habit of speaking one thing, while doing the exact opposite. Modi spoke of “atmanirbharta” on the one hand, while selling off the country to Indian and foreign corporates, on the other. Today he is speaking of “democracy”, “aspirations” and “accountability to people” on the one hand, while letting millions of Indians shiver in the bitter cold for weeks on end on the borders of the nation’s capital, on the other.

But the peasants, the workers and the people of India will teach these modern Neros a lesson in this most peaceful and democratic and united resistance that is unfolding before our eyes.

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Farmers’ Movement: Unity Being Forged on Roads and in Farms

Courtesy: Newsclick

In the absence of proper arrangement, the chilly wind shudders everyone inside the tents. Jagannath Singh Dhakar, a farmer from Madhya Pradesh, wraps his khaddar blanket tighter around him for some warmth. No immediate relief seems to be in sight to stop the wind passing through the gaps.

Dhakar, along with his farmer friends from MP are camping at the National Highway 19 in Haryana’s Palwal to protest against the three farm laws, which the farmers are referring to as a ‘trap for death’.

Talking about his reason for joining the contingent, Dhakad, said that uncertainty and nose diving prices of produce is silently killing the farmers. At the same time, the administration and the Bharatiya Janata Party led government in Madhya Pradesh is now a party to this plunder by the middlemen, big traders and seed and fertiliser companies.

The protest site at NH 19 also has significant participation by Sikhs from Gwalior who are enraged about the deliberate imposition of farm laws. On being asked about Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar’s proposal about return of farmers towards cash crops, Avtar Singh from Gwalior said, “If they are so concerned about increasing returns for the farmers, what were they doing for the last seven years? They should have implemented the Swaminathan Commission’s report from day one. They should have given farmers what the report recommended. It is all rubbish.”

Local Farmers Extend Support

Another important aspect of the protest appears to be the growing support of the local farmers. “When we had camped here for the first few days, local people came to us and complained about the choked traffic, the marriages which would be affected due to blocking of highways in neighbouring villages. But when they came to know about the reason of protest through television and other mediums about the farm laws, they started supplying us vegetables, milk, ghee and other provisions. We are forging a unity with our brethren everywhere now,” said Singh.

Vijen Singh, who came from neighbouring Dighaut, said that the local support would only grow since the panchayats have recently held a meeting and extended their support. “Today, we came with 10 trolleys but the number would only grow. It’s just a matter of time,” he added.

(Extracted by us from original article.)

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Farmers’ Movement Spreads to Over 300 Protest Sites in Telugu States

Prudhviraj Rupavath

Hyderabad: Farmers are protesting at over 300 protest sites across all districts and agriculture markets in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as part of the ongoing nationwide farmers’ movement demanding the repeal of the three newly enacted farm laws and the proposed electricity (amendment) bill, according to farmer organisations.

As protest demonstrations have intensified since the December 8 Bharat bandh, farmers’ groups are being supported by civil society organisations, trade unions and students’ organisations among other groups.

On Monday, farmers blocked roads near toll plazas on national highways between the two states as part of their ongoing agitation. A day before, farmers had held hundreds of candle-light rallies and human chain protests across 1,265 mandals in both states, paying respects to the 33 farmers who died during the ongoing movement.

As one of the main contentions of the farmers’ protest is that the laws favour corporate interests, on December 18, farmer leaders in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntur, Mangalagiri and Chirala held protest demonstrations in front of private retail marts owned by Reliance.

Further, farmers are also planning to protest near the Reliance Jio towers in their agriculture fields on Wednesday.

The farmers’ groups are also campaigning for a Chalo Hyderabad programme on December 30 as part of their series of protest demonstrations.

“With the spirit of the protesting farmers at the Delhi borders, farmers’ organisations in Telangana are jointly holding protests in coordination with farmer leaders in Delhi. Every day protests have been planned across mandals till December 30. The only end of the movement will be revocation of the farm laws,” said Sagar, President of Telangana Rythu Sangam. He added that the organisation leaders are also campaigning against the “false propaganda” in the social media against the ongoing movement.

“Relay hunger strikes have been going on at all district headquarters in Andhra Pradesh,” said Y. Kesav Rao, President of Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangam. “As the state government has begun to fix smart metres to agriculture pump sets as directed by the central government, farmers’ leaders are campaigning against the government’s action,” said Rao, referring to its connection with the electricity amendment bill.

(Courtesy: Newsclick. Extracted by us from original article.)