CHANDIGARH: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella platform of various farmers’ unions, on Thursday, February 9, announced that it would hold a ‘Kisan Mahapanchyat’ outside the Parliament in Delhi on March 20.

The organisation of farmers’ unions also stated that the ‘Mahapanchayat’ will be held to press for a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) and further called the 2023 Budget “anti-farmer.”

The SKM’s  demands include withdrawal of cases against farmers, Rs 5,000 monthly pension for farmers, debt waiver, the sacking of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, whose son is an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, and compensation for those who died during the farmers’ stir among others.

Senior SKM leader Dr Darshan Pal after the meeting of the farmers’ unions at Kurukshetra in Haryana told The New Indian Express that the body has decided to hold ‘Kisan Mahapanchyat’ in Delhi on March 20 and they will seek permission for it to be held at the Ram Lila ground and if not given permission then they will hold it at Jantar Mantar.

Showing a distinct and broader commitment to equality and non-discrimination, the recent meeting also reportedly passed a resolution demanding the dismissal of Haryana Minister Sandeep Singh was accused of sexual assault by a woman coach.

“This March 20, 2023 ‘Mahapanchayat’ will be dedicated to Bhagat Singh Rajguru and Sukhdev. We will reiterate various demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price. This ‘Mahapanchayat’ will be against anti- farmer budget and other pending issues including legal guarantee of MSP procurement of all crops, loan waiver, pension for farmers and agricultural workers, demanding a pro-farmer policy for insurance claims of the damaged crops, withdrawal of Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 and dismissal of MoS Ajay Mishra Teni for his role in Lakhimpur Kheri incident,’’ said Singh.

Singh has described the recently declared annual budget as “anti-farmer” and “anti-agriculture” due to the drastic cuts in all allocations pertaining to farmers, rural development, education, health, food for work rural programme (MNREGA) apart from subsidy cuts in fertilizers, food security etc. “The next course of action for a pan-India farmers movement will be decided in another meeting of SKM,” he said.

The farmers’ movement that captured the imagination of the people and drew support from wider walks of like through 2020-2021, has since been articulating several nuggets that reveal a wholistic alternate political orientation.

November 2022

Three months ago, in Manesar in Haryanathe Bellsonica Mazdoor Union held a Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat from 10 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gurgaon District Collectors office, protesting the anti-people policies of Modi government and elaborated on the ‘pro-capitalist designs of the rulers.’At the time, as reported by Sabrangindia, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan who had been present with other peasant organisation leaders at the meeting along with workers organisations from Gurgaon and Uttarakhand also supported the collective demands.

A few days before that, in Uttarakhand, theInqilabi Mazdoor Kendra also made a considerable contribution, through ideological-political campaigning and the Intercare Workers in preparation staged a mini-maha panchayat at which cloth Mazdooor Union workers, Intercare workers from Uttarakhand, Hitachi Contract workers, and Kisan workers also participated.Bellsonica Union secretary Ajit Singh, speaking to the media at the time, explained the objectives of the Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat and narrated the goal of the four labour laws instated by Narendra Modi and why it was essential to get them scrapped.

A month before that, on October 22, 2022, last year, farmers under the banner of Samuyukta Kisan Morcha as a part of the 11 day dharna against land takeover in Azamgarh for airport construction, held a peoples’ parliament in Hariram in Khiriya bag. Over a thousand persons participated.Organisations participating were Samyukta Kisan Morcha,Kisan Sangrami Parishad, Kisan Sangram Samiti,Jai Kisan Andolan,and Bhumia Bachao.The event highlighted the strategy of the ruling BJP party in allowing every endeavour of the corporates to grab land and endorsing the International policy of United States of America in agricultural production. Speakers had also analysed on how the 3 bill which had been passed earlier, had stripped the farming community of any bargaining power and the foundation of any democratic aspirations. They explained how all over India such a strategy was being extended, in denying farmers of land rights in favour of a a pro-corporate model of agriculture. It was asserted how the farmers had no expectations of the ruling party bringing the criminals involved in running over the framers to the book, but would still intensify the struggle at any cost.

February 2023

Coming back to the February 9, 2023, recent national-level meeting held at Jat Dharamshala in Kurukshetra was presided by Yudhvir Singh, Dr Sunilam and Raja Ram Singh who also finalised the rules and regulations for the affiliation of various constituents with the platform and its structural composition in order to consolidate and expand the umbrella organization that successfully spearheaded a year-long struggle against three farm laws.

Detailed ‘rules and regulations’ of the Morcha’s day-to-day programme activities were finalised. A coordination committee of 31 members will be formed and representatives from farmers’ unions at the district level and all India level will be taken. There will also be a general body of the Morcha and rotational secretariat to ensure the participation of everyone,” he said.

Two years and five months ago, in September 2021, the Kisan Mahapanchayat held in western Uttar Pradesh (UP) on the eve of the state polls made a significant calls for harmony between all religions and castes. The leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait says “Allahu Akbar”, crowd responded with “Har Har Mahadev” as sign of unity.

Tikait, a mass leader among farmers had even addressed a gathering where, referring to his father Mahendra Singh Tikait, who is revered in the farming community of the area, had raised both these chants together to encourage unity of farmers. He added that politicians “will divide, we [farmers] will unite people.” 

Related:

Mazdoor Kisan Maha Panchayat staged by Besonika Mazdoor Union in Manesar 

Samyukta Kisan Morcha stages Peoples panchayat in Hariram

Kisan Mahapanchayat calls for harmony, right-wing adds communal twist

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The right-wing’s internet forces, including many ‘influencers’ who have lakhs of followers collectively spent Sunday in trying to communalise the Kisan Mahapanchayat held at Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, on September 5. Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait had from the stage made a public attempt to invoke communal harmony, and raised the slogan “Allahu Akbar” the sea of humanity gathered then responded with “Har Har Mahadev”.

Tikait told the gathering that his father Mahendra Singh Tikait, who is revered in the farming community of the area, had raised both these chants together to encourage unity of farmers. He added that politicians “will divide, we [farmers] will unite people.” Soon the trolls of the IT cell were supplied with edited clips of Tikait only chanting “Allahu Akbar” from the stage. Chanting ‘god is great’ in any language for any religion is not illegal in any form. However, the right-wing trolls had their assignment and agenda set for the day and soon targeted Rakesh Tikait ‘accusing’ him of raising ‘Islamic slogans of “Allahu Akbar” in the Kisan Panchayat. 

Tikait’s speech invoking the Muslim-Hindu slogans was an attempt to offer a symbol of solidarity in the area which had witnessed one of the worst communal clashes between Hindu and Muslim communities in 2013, coincidentaly in the same month. Over 60 people had died, mostly Muslims and many more had been injured. More than 40,000 Muslims were reportedly displaced in the aftermath of the riots which have had a long lasting social and political impact in the state. 

In March 2021, a court in Muzaffarnagar allowed withdrawal of cases against BJP leaders like Uttar Pradesh minister Suresh Rana, MLA Sangit Som, former MP Bhartendu Singh and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sadhvi Prachi, in connection with the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case. After the incident, arrests were made and the National Security Act (NSA) was also invoked. However, later on, the NSA advisory board had revoked the charges against them and bail was granted.

At the Mahapanchayat on Sunday September 5, 2021, many speakers recalled the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 and asked farmers to condemn and reject communal politics. “The Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat declared that the farmers will never allow communal riots to happen in the future. Kisan Andolan will always give slogan to strengthen Hindu-Muslim unity,” they declared in an official statement issued after Mahapanchayat.

The Samyukt Kisan Manch (SKM) accused the Uttar Pradesh government of “ruling on the policy of ‘divide and rule’ and communal policy of caste and religion of the British government”. The SKM said that this “Mahapanchayat is to send a warning to the Union and the State government. Despite the rally of lakhs of farmers with the support of all castes, religion and class, if the government does not repeal all three agricultural laws and does not give legal guarantee for the purchase of agricultural products, then the movement will be intensified.” 

The right wing response

However, the right-wing also did their best to flood social media with statements manipulating what had occured with statements such as, “The connotations are clearly on the lines being peddled by global anti Modi, anti India, ISI, Khalistani, Canadian cabal. The script is being handed from there.”

That “Allah O Akbar” by Rakesh Tikait once again proves the agitation is not about farmers or Farm laws. The connotations are clearly on the lines being peddled by global anti Modi, anti India, ISI, Khalistani, Canadian cabal. The script is being handed from there.

— Vikas Saraswat (@VikasSaraswat) September 5, 2021

आज मुज़फ्फरनगर के किसान पंचायत में राकेश टिकैत ने लगवाए “अल्लाहु अकबर” के नारे।#RakeshTikait pic.twitter.com/3PSPV7y97S

— Panchjanya (@epanchjanya) September 5, 2021

According to Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, those gathered for the Mahapanchayat were “not farmers but people from SP, BSP, Cong, RLD portraying as farmers in the Mahapanchayat. The real farmers are with the BJP.”

When TV journalist Chitra Tripathi of Aaj Tak, called pro government ‘godi media’ by the farmers, was refused entry by the farmers and was escorted out of the grounds, it was projected as farmers harassing / attacking a ‘woman journalist’. The fact that there were scores of other journalists reporting from the event without any hindrance was conveniently ignored. 

एक महिला पत्रकार को घेरकर अपने ‘किसान’ होने का परिचय देते गुंडे।
pic.twitter.com/7oA0QMxHrP

— Sushant Sinha (@SushantBSinha) September 5, 2021

Disturbed to see the videos surfacing of #MuzaffarnagarPanchayat where protesting farmers are harrassing #aajtak journalist #ChitraTripathi

Attack on media can’t be justified under any circumstances. Journalists are simply doing their job unlike some power greedy AandolanJivis.

— Varun Puri (@varunpuri1984) September 5, 2021

Mission Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand

Muzaffarnagar Mahapanchayat has effectively launched the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) Mission Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand. The goal is to amplify the farmers’ movement all over these states and demand the repeal of the three contentious farm laws, withdrawal of Electricity Amendment Bill 2020, and assert a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) at one and a half times the comprehensive cost for all agricultural products.

Politically, the area has been a Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) stronghold, till the ‘Modi wave’ led to the rise of the BJP in 2014. Now the influential Khaps of community / clan groups such as the Balyan Khap lead by Naresh Tikait brother of Rakesh Tikait, have sounded the clarion and have called for change, as UP readies for polls in 2022. “People of UP will not tolerate (Home Minister) Amit Shah, (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (UP Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath. If we have governments like this, there will be riots,” said Tikait, adding that the government had not met the farmers at all since January 22. 

September 5 marked day 283 of the farmers protest

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha estimated that over 10 lakh farmers from across the nation came together for the Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar. According to the SKM farmers had come from “Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and other states.” They stated, “Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat will be remembered as a historic day, and will prove to be a turning point in Indian political landscape.” They called for a Bharat Bandh on September 27.

The SKM accused the Adityanath-led UP government of not fulfilling “even 20% of the promised procurement” adding that while “the UP government had promised loan waiver for 86 lakh farmers, while only 45 lakh farmers have received the loan waiver,” and that “in 2019-20, only 47 lakh farmers were paid, where crop insurance companies earned a profit of Rs 2,508 crore”. The Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat also announced “an agitation in the upcoming meeting of the SKM demanding a rate of ₹ 450 per quintal for sugarcane as promised by the Uttar Pradesh government.”

The ‘other Gandhi’ spoke for farmers

A big surprise of the day was the ‘appeal’ by BJP’s MP from Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi who called for a “re-engagement” with the protesting farmers, saying, “They are our own flesh and blood. We need to start re-engaging with them in a respectful manner: understand their pain, their point of view and work with them in reaching common ground.” The tweet went viral, and while the party is yet to make an ‘official’ response public, this statement from an insider is likely to ruffle a few feathers, at least in the state that is seen as a crucial one for BJP to retain power in.

Lakhs of farmers have gathered in protest today, in Muzaffarnagar. They are our own flesh and blood. We need to start re-engaging with them in a respectful manner: understand their pain, their point of view and work with them in reaching common ground. pic.twitter.com/ZIgg1CGZLn

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) September 5, 2021

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The post Kisan Mahapanchayat calls for harmony, right-wing adds communal twist appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait addressed the massive crowds of farmers’ gathered at the mahapanchayat called by Kandela khap at Jind, Haryana. Tiakit questioned the Union government’s response to the agitation, “What will you do if the youth removes you from power?” According to India Today, over 30 khap panchayats of Haryana attended the event. Even as the stage collapsed under the weight of scores of khap leaders gathered there (no one was reported hurt), the farmers movement has pitched its tents deep into Haryana now. 

Tikait has once again called for a “wapsi” (withdrawal) of the three new farm laws, and given a sound warning to those in power that the farmer’s voice must be heard, else political consequences are imminent. “We have so far talked about “bill wapsi” [repealing the farm laws]. The government should listen carefully. What will you do if the youth call for “gaddi wapsi” [removal from power]” he was reported as saying. Most important is the demand that the farmers who have been arrested, should be released before the government initiates further talks. 

At the Jind Kisan Mahapanchayat the farmer leaders remained focused on their demands:

• The three agricultural laws be repealed
• A new law guaranteeing MSP be made and
• The Swaminathan committee report be implemented.

जींद किसान महापंचायत
तीनों कृषि कानून वापस हो
एमएसपी को कानून बनाया जाए
गिरफ्तार किसानों को रिहा किया जाए
स्वामीनाथन कमेटी की रिपोर्ट को लागू किया जाए
किसानों पर दर्ज मुकदमे वापस हो।#जींद #किसान_आंदोलन_जारी_रहेगा #रिट्वीट @AHindinews @PTI_News @ndtvindia @ANI @BBCIndia

— Rakesh Tikait (@RakeshTikaitBKU) February 3, 2021

While Rakesh Tikait, is being credited with adding renewed strength to the farmers’ protests now swelling at Ghazipur-Delhi border, he has acknowledged that it is the community that is the strength behind the movement. While on the surface he is speaking of the community of farmers which has united across India and made the dissent against  the three farm laws a national movement, making the world take notice, he also hints at the backup he has received from the powerful Jat community.

Ghazipur has seen a massive inflow of farmers from the community, arriving from both from western Uttar Pradesh, as well as Haryana, and Rajasthan, adding to the strength of the resilient Sikh farmers, mostly from Uttarakhand, who were holding the fort here with Tikait for nearly three months. Mahapanchayats, or large community meetings, across the Hindi heartland have now decided to regularly send farmers, and supplies, to Ghazipur for “as long as the anti farm laws sit in protest lasts” say farmers. The around eight layer, security barricading and road blocks are no deterrent here. “Our leaders have said we should come here on a regular basis, we have put a system in place and each family from UP will send one person,” said a farmer who came with a group of 100 on February 1. Many farmers are setting up a relay system, and will come in batches so others can go back and tend to work back in the farms. Many more are here to sit in protest long term, till the laws are repealed.

Late on February 2, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait declared that a pan-India tractor rally will be taken out soon. He declared to the media that the farmers were giving the government time till October, indicating how long the protests are likely to go on. He also announced an “all india rally of over 40 lakh tractors”. The massive barricading seems to have added to the farmers resolve to sit in protest for the long haul. Tikait ate a meal right under a barricade to illustrate that point.

Many farmers of Uttar Pradesh have claimed that they “regretted voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party in past elections,” and feel betrayed by the party now. At from Muzafarnagar panchayat led by Naresh Tikait, the Muslim leaders recalled the community’s errors of “defeating Ajit Singh and Jayant Chowdhary led RLD”, and “killing Muslims” reffering to the communal riots. At Ghazipur Rakesh Tikait has been visited by leaders from both the Shiv Sena as well as the Samajwadi Party and others. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut visited Ghazipur on Tuesday to extend the “full support” of his party and the Maharashtra government to the agitation. Jharkhand’s agriculture minister Badal Patralekh too visited the Ghazipur border and met Tikait, and conveyed his “moral support” reported HT.

There is anger amongst the farmers, who say it was their votes that helped BJP win in both Haryana and UP. “We voted them to power, we will vote them out. Bring back the paper ballot, and see what happens in the next election if the farm laws are not taken back,” is the common answer given by farmers at Ghazipur. Though Tikait, who admitted to voting for BJP himself, has so far refrained from making such a comment, even he has blamed the party and the RSS, for allegedly attempting to defame the farmers movement, including vilifying the Sikh community. 

If a call to action is made after Mahapachayat at Jind on February 4, there may cause bigger political waves that the BJP government, especially in its two bastions of UP and Haryana will have to deal with. Tikait’s attendance at a community mahapanchayat at Haryana’s Jind district is also a sign of the unification of the Jat community at large. 

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, tight security arrangements have been put in place at Jind’s Kandela village for the event, organised by the Sarv Jatiya Kandela Khap and backed by other khaps of the region. In Delhi, the police continue to restrict vehicular movement between Delhi and Ghaziabad on National Highway 24. The cement barriers, barbed wire fencing and spikes on roads have also made sure no one can walk across.

Farmers unions will observe a chakka jam on all national and state highways on February 6, 2021 from 12 PM to 3 PM to decry the persistent government repression, the corporate-friendly budget and to demand the repeal of the three farm laws and the legalisation of Minimum Support Price (MSP,) said the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). “The youth arrested and beaten; missing tractors and vehicles after January 26; blocking of all routes leading to farmer protest sites; problem relating to water, electricity, latrines, internet; attacks on journalists; stopping of trains carrying farmer supporters; withholding of Kisan Ekta Morcha – considering all this, we have decided to call for a three-hour road blockade on February 6,” said farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal speaking to the media the Singhu border.

Now many independent journalists have also reported that they are being prevented from entering the protest sites, even on foot. The internet too will remain suspended in around 17 districts of Haryana till Wednesday evening, it still remains erratic along Ghazipur border as well. According to HT, in Chandigarh, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh chaired an all-party meeting on Tuesday, which too passed a resolution seeking the withdrawal of the new laws which the protesting farmers say will lead to the weakening of the minimum support price (MSP) system. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also attacked the government over barricades and roadblocks set up at farmer agitation sites at Delhi’s borders. 

According to The Indian Express, several MPs, said that the heavy police deployment to evict the protesters led by Tikait have “inflamed the sentiments of farmers, especially those from the Jat community which carries significant political weight in western UP, Haryana and parts of Rajasthan.” This was reflected in the Muzaffarnagar mahapanchayat on Friday, where over 10,000 participants have reportedly acknowledged the growing public sentiment that  does not bode well for the BJP. It was attended by leaders from Rashtriya Lok Dal, Samajwadi Party, Congress and even the Aam Aadmi Party. The IE  reported that some leaders, perhaps those also from the BJP, have “blamed the UP government” for “mishandling” the situation. They admitted that the potentially turning western UP’s political mood and make it emerge as a “protest hub.” In Haryana, Jat Khap leaders across the party lines have already come out in support of Tikait. Local panchayats have also begun mobilising more supplies and people to reach Singhu and Tikri borders in batches.

Most Khap leaders of Haryana have maintained that now that INLD MLA Abhay Chautala has officially quit, his nephew Dushyant Chautala, the state’s deputy CM will be under even more pressure. “His MLAs are all hiding, no one will dare come and talk to us now, leave alone seek our votes,” is the refrain that is heard clearly on the Tikri border, where spikes have also been cemented onto the road. The IE reported that as BJP has 40 out of 90 seats, Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala and his 10 MLAs hold the key to power in Haryana. The increased police action on the Haryana-Delhi border is also likely to now revive the agitation well into Haryana.

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