Mahila Kisan Diwas | SabrangIndia

Kisaan Anthem 2 released on Mahila Kisan Diwas!

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 12:57:24 +0000

Image Courtesy:trendpunjabi.com

Punjabi singer Shree Brar and many other artists marked the second Mahila Kisan Diwas of 2021 by releasing ‘Kisaan Anthem 2’ on March 8 to honour the farmers’ struggle that has continued for over 100 days against the three farm laws of the central government.

Although nearly double the length of the former songs, the new anthem praises the farmers’ movement and the contributions of women and men in continuing the protest months after its inception. According to the song’s teaser, these anthems are the singers’ way to voice his solidarity with agitating who are asserting their rights by opposing the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

The latest song begins by condemning the Union government for allowing elderly farmers to suffer on the street and asserts that farmers will “win or lay down their lives” as an homage to the peasant’s peaceful resolve.

However, the song ends with Brar talking about the man who died on Republic Day and was taken back to his home shrouded in the national flag. The song ends while flashing the message “So far about 250 invited Veer Bhais have been martyred in this agitation and in some jails. It’s not going to stop until you all come together. Let’s unite in this movement and stop it,” in Punjabi.

Brar was one of the first artists to release a song for the on-going struggle following the mass protests in November 2020. The song soon became the most popular song about the protest. In January this year, the artist was arrested on the pretext of encouraging anti-police and gangster-like activities in the video for another previously released unrelated song. However, supporters of the farmers protest alleged that Brar was being punished for releasing the Kisan Anthem, a song that inspired people to express solidarity with farmers.

The ‘Kisaan Anthem’ released on December 8, 2020 showed visuals of the peaceful protest with farmers distributing langar among people. Meanwhile artists in the video such as Afsana Khan sang lyrics in front of placards that sported hashtags saying “Support Farmers.” Even then, Mankirt Aulakh, Nishawn Bhullar, Jass Bajwa, Jordan Sandhu, Fazilpuria, Dilpreet Dhillon, DJ Flow and Bobby Sandhu praised women farmers old and young for leaving their fields to support the farmers movement. The song also condemned mainstream media for failing to responsibly cover the farmers’ movement.

On February 23, 2021, singer Hassrat did a rendition of Punjabi poet Sant Ram Udasi’s poem ‘Delhi Dayala Vekh’ with images of the on-going struggle flashing in the back of the video.

Similarly, artist Sarkari released the ‘Kisan Anthem’ song on January 10, 2021 in anticipation of the farmers’ tractor parade on January 26. The three-minute song also showed visuals of a person matching Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appearance being surrounded from all sides by people. The song mocked mainstream news media as the government’s “minions.”

Protest singer Poojan Sahil also released a rendition of the popular ‘Bella Ciao’ song and renamed it “Farm Laws Vapas Jao.” Regarding the song, Sahil wrote in the About section, “Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, UP and across India are protesting against the farm laws at Delhi Borders. This song is in solidarity with them… Bella ciao is an Italian protest folk song that originated in the hardships of the mondina women, the paddy field workers in the late 19th century who sang it to protest against harsh working conditions in the paddy fields of North Italy.”

Every month artists continue to come up with such songs to keep morale high. As the protest continues, farmer leaders state that they will not relent until the three laws are withdrawn and Minimum Support Price (MSP) is legalised in India.

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Mahila Kisan Diwas: A sea of dupattas Centre’s decry farm laws

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 05:38:54 +0000

Thousands of women farmers reached Delhi borders on March 8, 2021 to express their anger against the Modi government and demonstrate women’s power on Mahila Kisan Diwas.

The event which was declared on the same day as International Women’s Day, witnessed a huge intake of women participants from Sunday, the eve of the special day. Women from all types of vehicles such as tractors, cars, jeeps, tempo, buses and trains, waving mazdoor-Kisan flags, reached protest sites around Delhi to protest the three farm laws of the central government: the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

On Monday, all podiums of the farmers movement were handed over and managed by women. Women made all arrangements related to the morcha and addressed the assembling masses as well. Women of all ages and professions joined the morcha.

A large number of women farmers on the Tikri border demonstrated their strength. Speaking on the main stage, women farmers declared three farming laws as death warrants. They also termed the Union government as “anti-women” and said that women farmers’ demands have been completely ignored.

There was a big conference of women at Pakora Chowk where women leaders discussed such issues with activists of many progressive women’s organizations from Delhi participating in this event.

At the Singhu border, the women farmers challenged the administration and warned against their growing strength.

“The government feels that the movement will weaken over time, but farmers’ spirits are getting stronger by the day. When needed, the farmers will continue to show their strength, but they will not go back until the three laws are withdrawn,” said Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Kavita Kurugunti.

Meanwhile, Haryana women farmers presented cultural programs while women from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi reached the Ghazipur border in large numbers and talked about the grievances of women protesters.

Similarly, the Indian Social Movement in Maharashtra observed a meeting on Monday to show their solidarity with the ongoing farmers’ protest.

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Over 300 districts in India celebrate Mahila Kisan Diwas!

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 13:03:52 +0000

Image Courtesy:sputniknews.com

More than 300 districts saw women farmers assert their rights as Indian farmers on Mahila Kisan Diwas, January 18, 2021, said the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) in a press release.

The organisation said that the participation of women on Monday highlighted that 75 percent of all agricultural work is done by women and that the three farm Acts will ruin their livelihood and survival most of all. Farmer leaders said that women engaged in almost all forms of farming work such as sowing, transplanting, irrigation, weeding, harvesting, transporting, sorting, packing and in animal labour even dealt with rearing, provision of fodder, grazing, milking, cleaning, manufacture of dung cakes, processing of milk, etc.

Women farmers also submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India demanding increase in MNREGA work and wages and an end to corruption. They also demanded land rights and pattas, Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of all crops at C2+50 percent, cheap loans and loan waiver for all farmers, transportation facilities, provision of equipment for food processing and sale of processed/semi processed foods in the market. Lastly they asked for pension and other social rights and protections.

“They demanded their share in the development of India, which is being handed over to the corporate and MNCs and said the new laws will be opposed till they are withdrawn,” said the AIKSCC.

Regarding the laws, women leaders said that the three Acts will jeopardise the Public Distribution System (PDS) and food security adversely affecting women.

“Women farmers are already in deep crisis due to implementation of enhanced electricity rates, inflated electricity bills and rising corruption. To correct them and [the] withdrawal of the Electricity Bill 2020 is becoming more and more popular all over India,” they said.

Women at the Singhu border voiced their dissent against the three agriculture laws forcibly passed by the central government – the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

#MahilaKisanDiwas at Singhu border just now pic.twitter.com/zggiEQOLCJ

— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) January 18, 2021

Similarly, thousands of women from Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrated Mahila Kisan Diwas at the Shahjahanpur farmer protest site on January 18, said the Sayukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).

Women took charge of the event at the Shahjahanpur-Kheda border along the Jaipur-Delhi Highway with cultural programs, street plays and speeches by women leaders. Moreover, women farmers in the vicinity also took out tractor marches to participate in the event.

“This movement will also be remembered for the pioneering contribution of women in the coming times,” said the SKM in a press release.

Women also participated in the gradual fasting for 24-hours. As many as 11 women farmers namely, Rajbala Yadav, Parameshwari, Geeta Chimpa, Ashwani Santosh Chauhan, Lata Bai Namdev, Sakubai Dhanraj, Shobhabai Shukra Lal, Mangal Shivaji Vag, Vanu Bai Jeera, Kammu Bai Manohar, Durga Devi and Manu Devi participated in the event.

Farmers from Maharashtra and Gujarat also participated in the day’s events as a response to the Supreme Court’s remarks on women’s participation in the farmers’ protest.

Women leaders took centre stage with leaders such as Pratibha Shinde, Chandrakala, Nisha, Rajbala and Varsha Deshpande making speeches about women’s role in the protest. Similarly, other speaker such as Rukmini, Varsha Chopra, Sumitra Chopra, Kavita Srivastava, Sunita Chaturvedi, Pratibha Shinde, Raija Bai and Manju Yadav also spoke and resolved to further increase the participation of women in the movement.

https://www.facebook.com/YogendraYY/posts/3722104564524591

Maharashtra women’s groups also observed similar protests in parts of the state as well.

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Farmers chart out January protest plans with a tractor march, Mahila Kisan Diwas and more!

Sat, 02 Jan 2021 06:18:22 +0000

Image Courtesy:ndtv.com

After a warm celebration to usher in the new year, farmers resolved to continue braving the biting cold to oppose the three anti-farmer laws of the Centre, by setting forward a new plan of action for January 2021.

January 1, 2021 also marked Day 37 of the nationwide farmers’ struggle. Many people answered the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) appeal to celebrate the New Year with farmers, especially at various Delhi borders. Protesters in thousands of locations across India took a pledge to participate and support the farmers’ movement.

The group, Delhi For Farmers, undertook protests in different parts of Delhi from 8 AM to late evening in support of farmers. People welcomed 2021 with great pomp at the Singhu border.

Farmers from Barnala reached the Tikri border by driving their tractor backwards. Ex-servicepersons extended solidarity to farmers at the Ghazipur border and ensured cooperation with farmers who celebrated the New Year by organising a massive cleaning drive. Similarly, a large number of Buddhist monks travelled to the protest point in support of farmers.

Friday also observed a strong march of over 3,000 women of the All India Janwadi Mahila Sanghatana from Talasari and Dahanu talukas of Thane-Palghar district in Maharashtra at the Dahanu provincial office.-dd

Further, the SKM declared a tentative plan for the new month subject to the proceedings of Centre-and-farmer-talks on January 4. The general schedule for the week will be confirmed during a press conference on January 2 at 12:30 PM at the Press Club, New Delhi.

Farmer leaders said that a tractor march will be observed along the Kundli Manesar Palwal (KMP) highway on January 6.

“We want to make it clear that the proposed tractor march of farmers on the KMP highway has not been cancelled but postponed. The tractor march will now happen on January 6,” said the SKM in a press note.

A Desh Jagruti Abhiyan will be observed for a fortnight from January 7 to January 20 wherein district-level dharnas, rallies, press conferences will be held across India. During this time Mahila Kisan Diwas will also be celebrated on January 18 along with a ‘Pakka Morcha’ in Wardha city of Maharashtra.

On January 23, the birth anniversary of Subhash Chandra Bose, farmers will observe a Kisan Chetna Diwas. Leaders had previously announced that if demands are not met by January 26, farmers carrying the tricolour flag will march towards Delhi. Protesters at the Shahjahanpur border will also follow suit.

The SKM reiterated that ongoing agitations such as the boycott of Adani/Ambani products and services, toll-free movements in Punjab and Haryana and the demand that National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies quit NDA and leave partnership with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will continue.

Acknowledging the Kerala Assembly’s unanimous resolution to demand accession of farmers’ demands from the Union government, the SKM thanked the state government for supporting farmers in their opposition to the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act and the Electricity Bill 2020.

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