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Farmers stood up for basic rights, were shot at, six died: Mandsaur, MP, 2017

Sat, 06 Jun 2020 12:10:54 +0000

On June 6, 2017, six farmers, KanhaiyaLalPatidar, SatyanarayanDhangar, AbhishekPatidar, BabluPatidar, GhanshyamDhakad, ChintamanPatidar of Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh were killed, allegedly by the local police. The police are alleged to have fired upon farmers who were demanding fair prices in the drought-ravaged region of central India. Apart from those killed, many others were injured. Initially, the ShivarajChouhan government had even denied the deaths, stated a news report in Hindustan Times, on that day.

All that the farmers wanted was a fair price for the crops. They got bullets in return. Three years have passed, and the demands have remained the same. A year after the violence, the policemen accused of firing at unarmed farmers were handed a “clean chit” by the commission appointed by the Madhya Pradesh government. The commission had been set up to investigate the incident, including the firing by the state’s policemen and jawans from the Central Reserve Police Force. According to a report g over a demand for better crop prices as well as loan waivers.

The incident had put the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the dock politically, reported India today, and hence the retired high court justice JK Jain was appointed to lead a probe into the police firing. The commission eventually concluded that “the police and the CRPF were not to blame for the incident as they were forced to open fire,” stated the news report. It was reported by commission to the state government that: “the cops were forced to open fire after a mob armed with rods and petrol bombs was about to lynch police constables.”

Around the same time in 2017, a “ChaloMandsaur” call had been given in solidarity with the farmers of Madhya Pradesh. Delegations representing several farmer organisations, civil society activists had visited Mandsaurfollowing a call given by Jai KisanAndonlan of SwarajAbhiyan, NAPM, KisanSangharshSamiti of MP, BandhuaMuktiMorcha and others.

The delegation included Ms.MedhaPatkar, Swami Agnivesh, Dr.Sunilam, ParasSaklecha, KalpanaParulekar, AvikSaha, Ajit Singh, Balakrishnan and YogendraYadav. Some of the key observations they reported then were that there was a “nightmarish situation” where law and order, legal and human rights, were concerned. They had observed that democratic and human rights were at an “unbelievable low in MP”. The delegation had interacted with farmer leaders and activists and found a “complete break-down of rule of law”; it had reported a “reign of terror as Districts affected by and surrounding locations of farmers agitation cordoned off and jungle law implemented.”

A KisanMuktiYatra (Farmers Freedom March) had also started from Mandaur on July 6 2017, towards JantarMantar in New Delhi to press their demands of “waiver of all loans to farmers, fair price for farm produce.”

As expected the Mandsaur violence was fodder for a political face off between national-level opposition parties and the ruling BharatiyaJanata Party. The basic demands of the farmers remained a talking point only. It is now 2020, and the farmers are yet to get a fair hearing for their demand for loan waiver and fair prices.

This year, the All India KisanSangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) has called upon all units to observe June 6 as a day to honour the six martyrs of Mandsaur, who they alledgewer “killed by RSS-BJP govt in 2017”, they have also demanded loan waiver and full prices for farmers and raised the slogan: “KarzaMukti, PooraDaam”.

All India KisanSangharsh Coordination Committee a pan-Indian collective, now of around 250 farmers’ organisations and was formed when 130 farmers’ organisation came together after the death of six farmers, in alleged police firing in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh on June 6, 2017.

The AIKSCC states that “BJP govt chose to shoot at and kill the farmers at the behest of big private procurers. Peasantry was protesting low rates of onion, lahsoon, cumin seeds, wheat and a number of other crops and the government had failed to ensure purchase at MSP and to give compensatory bhavantar rates. This led to sale prices dropping below the cost of production.”

The Committee has also been critical of the recent decisions of the Union government to “wind up APMC Act, to begin eNAM networking, of allowing inter state sale, of inviting huge MNCs and big Indian Corporates to source crops from fields.” They say this move of allowing them to start “contract farming with farmer companies and farm aggregators will spell further doom for Indian peasantry.”

As the government monitored wholesale markets (mandis) wind up, the farmers will not get the benefit of govt procurement and assured rates states AIKSCC. Instead, “they will be subjected to the diktats of the big purchasers who will negotiate on the strength of eNAM rates to lower the prices in all areas. It is the peasant who is saddled with his harvested crop, who cannot afford to either not sell and store it nor to take it to other mandis who will be squeezed.”

The statement, signed by AIKSCC president V Venkatramaiah, general secretary Dr AshishMital and members of the working group, alleges that moves such as farming contracts and presence of local toughs as aggregators of land for sowing and crops for sale, will “drastically reduce the capacity of small peasants, landless sharecroppers and farm labour to negotiate and earn their livelihood.”

The AIKSCC alleged that the “RSS –BJP govt is wedded to the interests of big companies and imperialist powers. The Mandsaur firing and killing of 6 farmers and these decisions highlight its intent to further damage self reliance, aatmnirbharta of Indian farmers.” They have called for a peaceful protest to be held on these issues, tomorrow in all rural centres of the country.

These long pending, basic demands await a response from those in power, even as farmers continue to suffer across the country, as they battle multiple challenges, and struggle for survival in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic induced economic crisis. The most recent challenge has been thrown by the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020. Trade unions have called it’ hasty and beneficial to a handful of big landlords and corporate agri-business.”

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MPs should bow before farmers at JantarMantar, pay homage to the Mandsaur ‘martyrs’, support farmers demands

Anarchy Rules in MP after Police Firing & Torture: People’s Movements

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Two years after Mandsaur killing, farmers continue to protest to get justice

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 11:18:48 +0000

Mandsaur: On the second anniversary of the Mandsaur firing, in which six farmers were reportedly killed after the police opened fire, thousands of farmers from across the nation, under the banner of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (AIKSS), gathered in Takrawad village, Mandsaur district, Madhya Pradesh (MP) to pay tribute to the martyrs. The farmers are celebrating ‘Shahid Divas’ (Martyrs Day) under the chairmanship of Balaram Patidar, uncle of one of the martyrs.

Why the Protest?
The 208 farmer organisations, across the country, gathered to pay homage to the martyrs memorial statues in Budhgaon. These statues were put up by the farmers after six of them were killed on June 6, 2017. After paying tributes, the farmer organisations demanded that the government must erect a memorial for the sacrifice of the farmers and acknowledge their courageous act in the history of the farmers movement.

Apart from the construction of the martyr’s memorial, they are also demanding that the false cases that have been lodged against the farmers after the 2017 Mandsaur protest, be withdrawn. Also, the alleged murderers, including the police personnel that opened fire on the farmers be arrested. On the second anniversary, they have reiterated their long-standing demand of getting a fair price for their produce.

Who attended the protest?
The protest was attended by multiple farmer organisations and their leaders such as- Comrade Premsingh Gehlawat, National Vice President of the All India Kisan Mahasabha; Comrade Ishwari Prasad, National Secretary All India Kisan Mahasabha; Shri Rajendra Purohit, MP State President, Shri Rajesh Vairagi, State secretary, and Shri Dilip Patidar, Mandsaur district President, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti.

The district panchayat member, Subhash Patidar, was also present who gave a vote of thanks and addressed the Shahid Divas assembly.

What are the leaders saying?
The leaders present at the protest were angry at the MP Chief Minister, Kamal Nath, who just paid tribute to the martyrs via twitter. The farmer leaders have called this move as “insufficient and insensitive.” They have even warned of a protest outside the CM’s residence in case their demands are not accepted.

Addressing the ‘Shahid Divas’ assembly, the president of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan and former MLA, Sardar V. M. Singh, said “the 208 farmers organizations, dedicated to this purpose, even forced the Prime Minister of the country to speak of the farmers, but the Chief Minister of the state has taken to Twitter to pay homage to the martyrs, which in no way is effective or helpful. We have formed the peasants’ unified organisation to which the government have to surrender and lend an ear to all the demands that are being put forth.”

Former MP and farmers’ leader from Maharashtra, Raju Shetti, said “Assurances to farmers demand is not enough anymore. If the Swabhimani Shantakari Sangathan in Maharashtra can force the government to revise the prices of sugarcane and milk, it surely can do justice to the farmers of Madhya Pradesh.” He further added that if their demands are not accepted, the farmers will organise their demonstration outside the CM’s residence.

Rajaram Singh, the National General Secretary of the All India Kisan Mahasabha said that the martyred farmers of Mandsaur have shook the country and brought the entire farming community together. He further added that their struggle for justice will continue.

Madhuresh Kumar, National Convener of National Alliance of People’s Movements said, “Our struggle is against atrocities, exploitation and injustice, whether it is in Narmada, Mandsaur or Tuticorin. Our aim is to change the present system.”

MP state president of the All India Kisan Sabha, Mr. Jaswinder Singh, said “We are struggling to stop the exploitation of the farmers and workers. When the farmers buy and sell agricultural produce, they are all farmers, but caste and money assumes a dominant role during elections and thus their electoral power is divided.”

Expressing his fear on the farming community, after the landslide victory of the BJP, Shailendra Singh from Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) said, “it is not the opposition that has lost in the current elections, instead the country’s unemployed, farmers and labourers have been at huge loss and the capitalists have assumed the seats of power.”

Warning that the Congress government in the state might lose power if they continue to ignore the demands of the farmers, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti’s Executive President, and former MLA Dr. Sunilam, said “the MP Congress government is counting its last breaths, the oxygen tube is in the hands of Amit Shah and Modi, they can make the government fall whenever they want to. In such a situation, the Congress Government should immediately take to fulfilling the farmers’ demands, who have a considerable contribution to the formation of their government.” Further expressing his anguish over Kamal Nath’s tweet, Dr. Sunilam added, “Rather than tweeting, the CM should instead visit Mandsaur and pay homage to the martyrs, withdraw false cases against farmers and speak for arresting the murderers.”

What happened in Mandsaur two years back?
On June 6, 2017 farmers
had gathered in Mandsaur, a drought-ravaged region, to demand fair prices for their produce as 2017 was the second year of a bumper onion crop with no buyers, forcing the farmers to sell their produce at Rs. 2 to 3 per kg. They were also demanding loan waivers.

The protest gradually turned turned violent and the police as well as the jawans from the Central Reserve Police Force started firing on the protestors. This led to the death of five on the spot and one succumbed to the injuries the next day.

After a lot of demands, the then BJP state government appointed a commission under the chairmanship of retired High Court Justice JK Jain that was tasked with investigating the deadly firing. Notably, the commission concluded that the police and the CRPF were not to blame for the incident as they were forced to open fire and thus were given a clean chit!

What has the MP government done?
In 2017, Mandsaur had become an epicentre of agrarian protests, which led to the death of six farmers. Consequently, the then CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan launched the Bhavanter Bhugtan Yojna, which promised to pay farmers the difference between the average sale price and the government mandated minimum support price (MSP). However, farmers alleged that the scheme only benefited the big farmers with bargaining power. This was a major factor behind BJP’s defeat in the assembly elections.

Immediately after coming to power, MP CM Kamal Nath cleared a proposal for waiving farm loans, as promised. The entire farming community was euphoric and started applying for the waivers. However, the excitement was short lived!

Soon after the scheme kicked in, there were reports of scams by the banks with some farmers alleging that their names were included in the list of defaulters even when they hadn’t taken a loan or the loan amount was higher than the original amount. There have also been allegations that not a single farmer has benefited from this waiver as yet. This created immense resentment among the farmers and they started losing faith in the Congress.

Now what has angered the farmers more is Kamal Nath’s tweet “Today is the second anniversary of Mandsaur firing. Tribute to six farmers killed in this barbarous firing.” He also added, “Our government is determined to punish the accused of this firing, to give justice to the victims and to withdraw the false cases registered against the innocent farmers (during protests).”

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One Year after Mandsaur Killing: A Year of Struggle of Indian Peasantry Against the Anti-farmer Government

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:50:44 +0000

As the protests continue, on August 9 – the anniversary of historic Quit India Movement – AIKS’s campaign of collecting signatures of 10 crore farmers will culminate at district headquarters across the country.

Image Coutesy: Facebook

As the country observes one year of Mandsaur police firing, various farmers’ organisations took to streets across the country to mark their dissent against the Modi government and its anti-farmer policies, and to commemorate the martyr farmers. On June 6, 2017, the BJP-led state government in Madhya Pradesh had gunned down six farmers who were protesting – seeking guaranteed remunerative prices for their agricultural produces and freedom from indebtedness.

The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), the umbrella body consisting about 193 farmers and peasant organisations, observed the first anniversary of the killing of farmers in Mandsaur as Mandsaur Shaheed Kisan Smriti Diwas. A day-long fast was also observed at Takravat village of Mandsaur. AIKSCC also took out a torch rally in Bhopal on the evening of June 4. Following this, on June 5, a commemorative meeting was held with villagers of Buda, in Mandsaur. The AIKSCC also demanded that there should be murder charges against the police personnel responsible for the killing.

AIKSCC – country’s largest platform of farmers’ organisations, which had been created in response to Mandsaur killing – took up issues of farmers in India, has been highlighting the depth of the agrarian crisis, and has campaigned and conducted Yatras to highlight the struggle of farmers and agricultural workers.

The year since Mandsaur killing has witnessed a series of farmers’ protest across the country including Kisan Long March in Maharashtra, Kisan Mukti farmers’ protests in Sikar and other parts of Rajasthan, struggle of Uttar Pradesh farmers and Himachal farmers and Tamil Nadu farmers’ protest in the national capital among others.

Loan waivers for farmers, implementation of Swaminathan committee recommendations including the Minimum Support Price (MSP), right to land, scrapping of forced land acquisition drive conducted in the name of various projects and increase in pension for farmers and agricultural workers were some of the key demands during all these protests.

In July 2017, the national capital witnessed a different kind of protest staged by the farmers from Tamil Nadu. The farmers, who had demonstrated a 41-day protest in Delhi earlier in 2017, returned to Delhi with skulls and bones of the farmers – who had committed suicide – to resume their protest, demanding loan waiver and drought relief package. During the protest, which had been continuing for months, the farmers put mice and snakes in their mouths, conducted mock funerals and stripped at Raisina Hills to mark their dissent. These series of protests were called off when the state Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami promised to waive off the loans taken from the nationalised banks.

In September 2017, Rajasthan’s Sikar district, which has a profound history of mass movements, had witnessed a massive farmer uprising. Thousands of farmers under the banner of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) occupied the streets and government offices to highlight their long pending demands. Sikar farmers had put forward a charter of demands: more fund allocation for MGNREGA, higher wages and more days of work, pension of Rs 5,000 a month for the farmers and agricultural workers above 60 years, effective crop insurance, protection of crops from stray cattle and wild animals, subsidised electricity and revoke of the cattle trade ban order.

The mass movement, which was led by Amra Ram of AIKS, had garnered massive support from all sections of the society. The BJP-led state government tried its best to disrupt the peaceful protest using the state machinery. But, the magnitude of the protest made the government accept the demands of the farmers.

On November 20-21, 2017, more than 50,000 farmers from different parts of the country had gathered in Delhi for the Kisan Mukti Sansad (Farmers’ Liberation Parliament), putting forward the two key demands: better prices for produce and debt relief. The Sansad had begun with a Mahila Sansad (Women’s Parliament) highlighting the role of women as farmers.

During the Kisan Sansad, two Bills – on remunerative prices and loan waivers – were presented by Hannan Mollah of AIKS and Raju Shetty of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana- for, by and of the farmers.

In the run-up to the Kisan Mukti Sansad, AIKSCC led a Kisan Mukti Yatra covering a distance of more than 10,000 kilometers all over the country. Raising the consciousness over the condition of farmers, AIKSCC reached out to farming and non-farming communities, and tried to build unity between rural and urban India. The first phase of the Yatra, which had been flagged off from Mandsaur, culminated in Delhi by the mid of July 2017, covering six states: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and parts of Haryana.

The second phase of Kisan Mukti Yatra covering Southern states Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka had started from Hyderabad on September 16, 2017, and concluded in Bengaluru on September 23, 2017. The third phase – eastern leg – of the Yatra from October 29, 2017, to November 5, 2017, had engaged with the masses from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, South Bihar and West Bengal.

In the final phase of the Yatra – the Northeastern leg of the Yatra – gatherings were conducted in different villages. With a mass gathering at Dighalipukhuri in Guwahati, Assam, on November 12, 2017, in the presence of hundreds of farmers and agricultural workers along with others, the Yatra was concluded. Throughout its long way, the Yatra was embraced by various sections of the society including peasants, agricultural workers, trade unionists, Adivasis, Dalits, students among others, irrespective of urban-rural divide.

The momentum of the Kisan Mukti Yatra and Kisan Sansad further continued and AIKSCC campaigned widely across the nation against the anti-farmer policies of the BJP-led state governments. The government always stood along with the corporates and framed policies, which were wrapped up in nationalism, for them. They also made legislation like the Seed Bill, Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, and Pesticide Management Bill for the sake of the corporates.

On February 22, despite the state government’s crackdowns and arrests, farmers from Rajasthan demonstrated a protest march in Jaipur. After the protests, the farmers had decided to meet PM Modi who had announced a visit to Jhunjhunu on March 8. The state government, however, had imposed section 144 of the IPC, prohibiting an assembly of more than four people in an area, in Sikar district on March 1.

Again, in the first week of March 2018, Maharashtra saw an unparalleled movement. On March 6, thousands of farmers including women and tribals set out on their long march from Nashik under the flagship of AIKS. The long march, which had gained mass momentum as it progressed, and entered Mumbai on March 11 midnight. To avoid causing any inconvenience to the students appearing for board exams on the next day, the farmers walked during the midnight to their final destination – Azad Maidan – to press for their demands. The farmers, who fought for their rights without creating any kind of inconvenience to the Mumbai’s daily routine, got showered with mass solidarity from the middle-class of the city.

Along with their main demands, the farmers demanded MSP for dairy products, implementation of the Forest Rights Act, and end of the forceful land acquisition. In Maharashtra, a section of farmers was evicted from their farming land in the name of various projects including Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor and Mumbai-Nagpur expressway etc.

As the farmers, who led their struggle hand in hand with the Ashok Dhawale, JP Gavit, Ajit Nawale and Kisan Gujar – the AIKS leadership – were very determined, the BJP-led state government was forced to accept the demands of the farmers, and they had sought one and half months of time to implement the demands of farmers.

Right after the historic Kisan Long March, thousands of farmers from Uttar Pradesh gathered in Lucknow as per AIKS’ ‘Lucknow Chalo’ protest call for a ‘Kisan Pratirodh Rally’ with a slogan of “Aatmhatya nahi, sangharsh karenge” (No to Suicide, Unite to Fight). In the protest, the farmers had raised the demands like their counterparts in other states. Apart from those demands, Uttar Pradesh farmers demanded lower prices of electricity and fertilizers.

Again, Himachal Pradesh farmers under the leadership of AIKS encircled the state assembly in Shimla on April 3. One of the main demands, along with the common demands of the farmers, was to stop targeting farmers in the name of eviction. They demanded distribution of the land to the farmers. In the state, 65 per cent of the population is into farming. However, the farming land consists of only 11 per cent of the total land. Thus, many small and marginal farmers have been cultivating their produces on the forest land. But, the government and authorities have been evicting the farmers for encroaching on the forest land.

Though the farmers marked their victory through the Kisan Long March, the state government is yet to implement the promises. Owing to the betrayal of the government, farmers have resumed their protests in Maharashtra, including the recent protest of dairy farmers and protests in Dahanu against the forceful land acquisition.

As the protests continue, on August 9 – the anniversary of historic Quit India Movement – AIKS’s campaign of collecting signatures of 10 crore farmers will culminate at district headquarters across the country as the farmers hand the memorandum over with charter of their demands to District Magistrates, while they ask the BJP to quit India: ‘Bharat Chhodo’. The plight of farmers is likely to continue till BJP quits India.

Courtesy: Newsclick.in

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