The wrestlers had reached Haridwar at 6 pm to immerse their medals, from where heart-wrenching videos of wrestlers weeping over their plight were watched by millions on social media. Almost an hour later, farmer leader Naresh Tikait reached the spot and urged them emotionally not to throw away their medals. Tikait intervened, drew their medals from them, and sought a five-day time from the protesting grapplers to address their grievances.

The suffering and the plight of the protesting wrestlers, who have had to endure systematic violence, ignorance and apathy at the hands of the Delhi police and representatives of the union government whose radio silence around the champions’ protests has been telling. It has also been a wake-up call.

The May 28 crass brutality of the Delhi police (that is controlled directly by the ministry of home affairs under the union government) has shaken many who were previously silent. The contrast could not have been more stark: the cloak of powerful immunity accorded to the POCSO accused BJP MP, Brij Bhusan Singh who triumphantly participated in the inauguration of the “new Parliament” on an invitation from the Prime Minister and the brute manhandling and misbehaviour with the women Olympic champions protesting for their dignity and rights. Both on Sunday May 28.

Many organisations, political leaders, sportspersons, and celebrities have come out in support of the protesting wrestlers.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal slammed the government over the issue of allegations of sexual harassment levelled by women wrestlers against WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh, and asked whether POCSO and immediate arrest apply to all accused other than Singh because he belongs to the BJP. Kapil Sibal is the senior advocate who has previously represented the protesting wrestlers when they had approached the Supreme Court to demand that a FIR be registered against Singh.  While it took an order from the Supreme Court to even get an FIR filed against Singh, the same police was quick and prompt in booking the wrestlers for “violating law and order,” within ten hours! This FIR was filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act, said Delhi Police.

Naresh Tikait, the head of Balyan khap, said a ‘mahapanchayat’ will now be held in Muzaffarnagar’s Soram village on June 1 to discuss the ongoing protest by wrestlers against WFI. Tikait further provided that several representatives of different khaps and their heads hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab Rajasthan and Delhi will be participating in the mahapanchayat to decide the next course of action in the wrestlers protest.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella group of nearly 40 farmers’ unions, on Tuesday called for nationwide demonstrations on June 1 to support the protesting wrestlers, Sabrangindia has reported.  The Samyukta Kisan Morcha said that nationwide protests will be held to “secure the democratic right to protest by the Indian wrestlers and all other sections of society” and demand Singh’s arrest. “The morcha will coordinate with platforms of trade unions, women, youth, students and all other sections, including intellectuals, to stage demonstrations across India,” it said.

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students Federation of India (SFI) jointly declared a nationwide protest in support of the wrestler’s protest from June 4. “DYFI and SFI demanded the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan and to withdraw all false cases against the wrestlers immediately. Through this protest, we demand that the Prime minister should apologize for the police violence unleashed upon wrestlers,” DYFI national president AA Rahim said.

The sport fraternity finally speaks up- National and International

In a statement on the night of May 30, the International Olympic Committee has condemned the way India’s top wrestlers are being treated during their ongoing protest. In their statement, the IOC has “urged the safety and wellbeing of these athletes” and called for “a speedy conclusion” of the investigation. The IOC spokesperson from Lausanne, Switzerland, also said that the “treatment” meted out to the athletes over the weekend, when they were manhandled and detained for hours, was “very disturbing.” The IOC also urged the IOA, headed by P T Usha, which has been conspicuous by its silence so far, to “protect the athletes

It further said that it had been in close contact with United World Wrestling (UWW) – the international organisation governing amateur wrestling – over the situation.

The UWW had also, prior to the IOC, issued a statement on Tuesday saying that it was following “with great concern” the wrestlers’ protests “over allegations of abuse and harassment by the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)”.

“It expresses its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations so far,” the statement said and added that the UWW would hold a meeting with the wrestlers to inquire about their safety and “reconfirm our support for a fair and just resolution of their concerns”.

The UWW also said that it might suspend the WFI if its upcoming elections were not held on time. As provided by the Indian Express, the IOC and the United World Wrestling are considering holding a joint virtual meeting with the protesting wrestlers.

A veteran of the cricketing fraternity of India, cricketer, Anil Kumble also joined other big sportspersons like Neeraj Chopra, Abhinav Bindra, Sunil Chhetri, who have voiced their support for wrestlers and expressed disappointment over how they were treated on the day India celebrated its new Parliament. Other cricketing icons of the country, even playing the popular IPL tournament that ended only on May 29 post mid-night have been conspicuously silent.

Support flows in from the film industry

A number of celebrities have also expressed their support for the protest, despite their reputation for being oblivious to their surroundings and indifferent to protests and societal movements. The ongoing wrestlers’ protest has captured the attention of many people working in various film industries across the country, as more and more people express their support through social media platforms and in interviews. Senior actor Naseeruddin Shah recently expressed his support for the protesting wrestlers and wondered if a film about these athletes would be made. Shah also stated that the Hindi film industry was never one to roll up its sleeves and confront problems head on.

“When has the Hindi film industry ever rolled up its sleeves and tackled a subject which is crying out to be tackled? Will anyone make a film on these girl wrestlers who brought us medals…? Will anyone dare make a film? Because they are scared of the repercussions. It is nothing new that the Hindi film industry is keeping mum on important issues, they always have,” the actor told PTI in an interview.

Sharing a collage showing security personnel detaining wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat by using force, Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas wrote on Instagram, “They are the ones who uplifted our reputation in international sports arenas. They gave colours of success to the hopes of an entire nation! Keep aside their achievements and accolades, but there is a justice that each and every citizen of this nation deserves. They should not be deprived of that justice. They should not be defeated just because those standing on the opposite side are strong. They should be heard and their demands should be considered. Justice should not be delayed, never be denied! Jai Hind.”

Renowned Tamil director Pa Ranjith, filmmaker Onir, actor Kamal Hassan, actor Swara Bhaskar, actor Ritika Singh, Uorfi Javed, actor Vidyut Jammwal and Malayalam director Anjali Menon too had recently extended solidarity with the protesting athletes.

The government saves face, spreads misinformation

The BJP government, which is at the centre and has been indirectly shielding Singh from having to bear any consequences provided under law, has been keeping mum about the whole issue of the wrestling protesters. The Congress claimed the BJP’s slogan of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ now means ‘Beti BJP ke netaon se bachao’ (save daughters from BJP leaders)’ and also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not making an appeal to the protesting wrestlers urging them not to immerse their medals in the Ganga.

The month-long protest of wrestlers even forced union minister Meenakshi Lekhi to do a little jog –run away from questions on the matter by media persons. She was seen walking briskly and then running when asked to comment on the issue. “Chalo, chalo, chalo,” the minister said as she was rushing towards her car. The union minister was chased by a media reporter who kept asking for comments on protesting wrestlers. “What do you have to say on the protesting wrestlers?” she was asked. To this, Meenakshi Lekhi responded that the ‘legal process is going on’.

The video can be viewed here:

पहलवानों से जुड़े सवाल से बचने के लिए मीनाक्षी लेखी भागने लगीं.

मीनाक्षी जी मोदी सरकार की मंत्री हैं. pic.twitter.com/YWyUXjx2on

— Ranvijay Singh (@ranvijaylive) May 30, 2023

A similar statement was also given by Smriti Irani, the union minister of Women and Child Development, urging the protestors to wait for the legal process. Ironically, the same government that has on multiple occasions supported the taking law into their own hands, be it the extra-judicial killing of accused and convicts, declaring any dissenter as terrorist, or demolishing “illegal” structures even as the court cases are ongoing, are now appealing for the citizens and media to wait till the law take its course.

It is essential to note that while wrestlers have had to fight a battle for exercising their rights on a daily basis, Singh has been brazenly giving interviews, and issuing statements. Reacting to the intention of the protestors to immerse their medals in the river, Singh said that the wrestlers immersing their medals in the Ganga would not make the court “hang” him.

“Immersing your (wrestlers) medals in Ganga won’t make the court hang me. Present your proof to the court, and if they choose to hang me, I will accept,” WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh said while addressing a gathering.

A particular group of people are also busy making up stories and controversies regarding this whole issue. Earlier today, a news was circulating stating that the police had not found sufficient evidence in favour of the allegations levelled against Singh by female wrestlers and that it will submit the report within 15 days. As the news came out in the media, the Delhi Police took to Twitter to say: “It is clarified that this news is “wrong” and the investigation into this sensitive case is under progress with all sensitivity.”

Meanwhile, another attempt to build up a controversy is being made, with some individual claiming to be the uncle of the “minor” girl who has accused Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment, Amit Pehlwan, has been hitting out at the protesting wrestlers, saying that they are “misleading” his family and using them to frame Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. As has been alleged by Amit, the wrestlers are carrying out a scam as his brother’s daughter’s (niece) age has been changed to 16 years, so that the grapplers can “wrongly utilise” the POCSO Act.

The issue of sexual harassment at the workplace, raised clearly and sharply by India’s Olympic Women champions needs to be faced head on. It is an issue quite commonly brushed aside as an aggressive union government is even at this moment attempting to do.

Related:

Wrestler Protest: Law student moves NHRC, files complaint over the detention & brutal police action against protesting wrestlers

From deathly silence to violence: The journey of wrestlers struggling for justice

Protests erupt at Delhi police violent crackdown on Women Wrestlers, FIR, and nationwide outrage

Attempt to Drown out Wrestlers’ Protest with Song and Dance About ‘Temple of Democracy’

When Will Society Hold Men Accountable for Patriarchy

Farmers announce nationwide agitation in support of #WomenChampionWrestlers

Protesting wrestlers manhandled by drunk Delhi police officer at night, supporters and journalists detained

Independent mechanisms on sexual harassment at workplace imperative, NWMI stands in solidarity with women wrestlers

WFI leadership accused of sexual harassment by Indian women wrestlers, absence of redressal mechanisms the focus

The post Protests and Mahapanchayats announced in support of the protesting wrestlers, 5 days given till medals are immersed in Ganga River appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, Khap Maham 24 chief Mehar Singh and Sankyut Kisan Morcha’s (non-political) Baldev Singh Sirsa joined the wrestlers on the dais and addressed the media. Hannan Mollah of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) was also present.

“Many leaders from Khap panchayat and SKM attended the meeting today. We decided that members from every khap will come to the protest site every day. They will stay here during the day and return by the evening,” Tikait said before a huge gathering.

“The wrestlers’ committee will take care of the protest and we will support the wrestlers from outside. We have scheduled a meeting for May 21. If the government does not offer a resolution, we will devise our next strategy,” he added.

“If any emergency arises, if the wrestlers face any problem, the entire nation stands behind them.” The wrestlers, along with hundreds of supporters, carried out a candle light march in the evening. Slogans of ‘Inqalab Zindabad’ reverberated as the wrestlers walked holding each other’s hands. Patriotic songs such as ‘Mera Rang de basanti chola’ were played just before the march started.

The Telegraph reported on these developments. Wary of a large gathering in support of the wrestlers, the security arrangements were beefed up in advance with more than 500 personnel, including many women, from agencies such as Rapid Action Force (RAF), the Delhi Police and the CRPF deployed at the protest site. A veritable “army” where India’s women wrestling champions are on a day night protest!!

The turbaned farmers, clad in dhoti-kurtas, and numbering in hundreds were seen at the protest site on May 7 as a ‘Mahapanchayat’ discussed the next move on behalf of the wrestlers.

The scenes resembled the farmers’ protest that continued for 13 months until the government repealed the law.

So far, Delhi Police have recorded statements of the seven women complainants under section 161 while the statements under 164 (before a magistrate) under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) are yet to be recorded.

These women champion wrestlers have accused Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan of sexual exploitation of several women wrestlers over a period of time and have demanded his removal.

Tikait said the tri-colour has been shamed and it will not be tolerated.

“We will help the wrestlers in every possible manner,” he said, adding that it will be a long haul and it may spread to the entire country.

“It (Jantar Mantar) will remain the protest site as of now. The protest will gather momentum and spread. We have to be prepared for a long battle,” he added.

“This is not a political protest, this is a non-political organisation. But a few politicians have come in support of the wrestlers, cutting across party lines.” Sirsa said, “We have also decided that we will force the government to arrest Brij Bhushan. The way farmers had fought their battle (against farm laws), the wrestlers will continue their struggle in the same way.” “I request that the government does not test our patience. They had tested us some time back and we had cleared the exam,” Sirsa said, referring to the farmers’ victory in getting the farm laws repealed.

Vinesh Phogat, the world championship medallist, also hinted that the protest may become bigger if their demands are not met.

“We can take a big call if a resolution does not come by May 21. No one has hijacked our protest, it’s just that people have joined us in our fight against injustice. These people respect us and care for our dignity,” she said.

“All the women can connect to this battle of ours. The supporters have given us strength. We are ready to fight.” Asked if they are mentally prepared to shun training and competition for a long time, she replied in negative.

“We will definitely compete. We will prepare a plan on how to go about it. We will surely go for competitions.” “We have just one demand that Brij Bhushan should be first arrested and then his interrogation should take place,” she said.

Related:

Farmers announce nationwide agitation in support of #WomenChampionWrestlers

Protesting wrestlers manhandled by drunk Delhi police officer at night, supporters and journalists detained

Independent mechanisms on sexual harassment at workplace imperative, NWMI stands in solidarity with women wrestlers

WFI leadership accused of sexual harassment by Indian women wrestlers, absence of redressal mechanisms the focus

Delhi police to file FIR against WFI President in sexual harassment case

391 complaints of sexual harassment at workplace received from Central Ministries: Government

The post Committee gives May 21 deadline for arrest of Brij Bhushan; its our protest not “hijacked”by farmers: Vinesh Phogat appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Lucknow: Meera and Shiv Baran from the Bamhna Kherda village in Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district started their road trip towards the state capital Lucknow on November 25 with a torn blanket, a worn-out sweater and an unshaken resolve. “We will not tolerate the breach of promises anymore,” they said.

After spending six hours in a cramped tempo with 17 others, Meera and her friends finally got the chance to stretch out their legs and wrap themselves in a thick blanket after landing in Lucknow.

“Ye sarkar apna wada bhi nahi nibhati hai. Sirf ghareebon ko jhootha sapna dikhati hai (The government does not fulfil its promises; it only gives false hopes to the poor),” distraught Meera told NewsClick.

Groups of farmers with their colourful flags, many of them on tractors, in buses and open pickups started reaching the Eco Garden in Lucknow at dawn on Saturday. They had come to join the ‘Mazdoor-Kisan Mahapanchayat’ to mark two years since they launched their agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws. By afternoon, the crowds swelled with farmers coming from Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri, Deoria, Ballia, Azamgarh, Hardoi, Faizabad, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, Meerut, Bijnor, and Muzaffarnagar. They alleged a breach of assurance given by the Centre on their pending demands.

A massive crowd gathered on Saturday for a farmers’ Mahapanchayat or a meeting called by Samyukta Kisan Morch (SKM), where leaders including Hannan Mollah, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, and Mukut Singh, state general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) were spotted on the stage. Apart from these, representatives of Kisan Sabha, Jai Kisan Andolan, Krantikari Kisan Union and Bhartiya Kisan Shramik Janshakti Union were among the speakers.

Accusing PM Narendra Modi-led NDA government of betraying farmers and not fulfilling most of their demands, SKM leader Hannan Mollah said that the Modi government is a “traitor”. “The government has proved it is a traitor who has cheated the farmers. At the time of scrapping three agri laws, (they) had made a commitment to set up a committee to give legal shape to the minimum support price, withdraw all criminal cases registered against farmers, release tractors and other vehicles impounded during the agitation and take action against the guilty involved in the massacre of farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri. They are protecting the corporates. They have proved they have no intention of fulfilling our demands,” the SKM leader told NewsClick.

“Unfortunately, none of these promises have been fulfilled. The government has refused to grant the status of martyrs to more than 700 farmers killed during the year-long agitation,” he said, adding that this time, not only will Delhi be an epicentre of farmers’ protest but the entire country will witness the agitation.

SKM, an umbrella body of farmers’ unions, which spearheaded the one-year-long agitation against the farm laws, has also called a general body meeting on December 8 to decide the future course of the movement.

It was on November 26, 2020, that SKM had launched the one-year-long March to Delhi protest.

Other longstanding demands by the farmers include raising the sugarcane price to Rs 500 per quintal, prohibiting action against farmers for burning crop residue, providing free electricity to farmers, dismissing and arresting Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’ for his alleged involvement in the Lakhimpur violence, lifting the tractor-trolley ban, measures to control stray cattle menace. and compensating farmers for crop damage caused by unseasonal rains.

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, while addressing the gathering, appealed to the peasants to learn to operate “Twitter and Tractor” as they both will help to fight the government.

Tikait further said, “Badshah (Modi) says that there will be development in 2047. But by then all the farmers will have lost our land. The freedom struggle lasted for 90 years; it was a more dangerous period than this. But if the farmers do not get alert, history will repeat as we are living under an undeclared emergency where both pen and camera are guarded by guns.”

The BKU leader also pointed to the high-handedness of the police in Azamgarh, Jewar in the name of airport expansion.

“In 2005, the Bihar government by ending the mandis system (market yards regulated by the government) in the state, ruined the farmers there and the peasants are selling paddy at only Rs 800 per quintal. Similarly, the government destroyed the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir. Apple growers are in dire straits. Furthermore, whether it is Jewar Airport, Azamgarh or Lucknow, farmers’ lands are being acquired without their consent,” Tikait told NewsClick on the sideline of the Kisan Mahapanchayat.

Gunja Pati and Kausalya from Jigina Karampur in Azamgarh district along with hundreds of others under the banner of ‘Makan Bachao Khet Bachao Sanyukta Morcha (Save houses and farms)’, travelled to Lucknow in the fear of losing their houses, livelihood, and farmland after the announcement of a proposed expansion of Mandauri airstrip in Khiriya Ka Bagh, near Jamua Hariram.

Gunja, who owns eight biswa, and Kausalya, who is the owner of two, told NewsClick that they came to Lucknow hoping that their plight would be heard from a big plat platform. “My husband is a daily wage labourer and earns Rs 250 daily. Whatever we have is our one roof and the small patch of land to survive. But if this government snatches that from us, we will die. The fear of losing land brought us here,” the duo told NewsClick.

Paryesh Nisad, a youth who claimed to have run away, hidden from the district administration, and taken a kutcha road to reach Lucknow, told NewsClick, “A day before yesterday, the district administration with cops barged into our houses so that we don’t participate in the Lucknow protest. They (police) threatened us with dire consequences if we joined the protest,” he told NewsClick, adding that police also took pictures of whoever came to Lucknow.

Photo by Abdul Alim Jafri

Radhe Shyam of Hasanpur village said, “We are poor people and we cannot fight with this powerful government. What we want is only our land and the government should shift the airport somewhere else.”

The proposal aims to expand the Azamgarh airstrip to an international airport under the UDAN scheme. The project will displace about 10,000 people from around 600 acres covering eight villages: Hasanpur, Kadipur Harikesh, Jamua Hariram, Jamua Jolha, Gadanpur Chindan Patti, Manduri Jigina Karampur, and Jehra Pipri. The villagers are unwilling to give up their land and livelihoods tied to the land.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post UP: Farmers Remind PM Modi of His Promises, Warn of Delhi-like Protest in Entire Country appeared first on SabrangIndia.

New Delhi: Eight months after the farmers’ movement for the repeal of the three farm laws concluded, leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) met in the city on Monday to recall the heroic struggle in its various dimensions.

The occasion was a seminar titled ‘The Future of the Farmers Movement’, held at the Gandh Peace Foundation, which saw the participation of farmer leaders, Hannan Mollah, Ashok Dhawale, Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal and Yogendra Yadav.

The topic of discussion was All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leader Dhawale’s book When Farmers Stood Up, which was launched earlier this year in Kannur, Kerala

After a brief musical performance by Jana Natya Manch, Archana Prasad, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), while giving an introduction to the book, said: “It is essential that this book reaches everyone, as it gives hope against the struggle of fascism. I must emphasise that while the book has been written by Dr Dhawale, indeed, through it speaks the voices of all the workers and farmers who participated headfirst in the movement.”

Prasad said there was pre-history to the farmers’ movement as it erupted September 2020 onward, with the struggle against BJP-led National Democratic Alliance-I’s Land Acquisition Bill. “This book underlines the fact the movement was not simply built by 500 organisations, but through a long protracted struggle 2014 onward,” she added.

Darshan Pal of Krantikari Kisan Union congratulated Dhawale for his “rigorous efforts” to compile the various moments in the farmers’ movement. He gave personal anecdotes on the various ups and downs of the movement.

On the ‘Delhi Chalo’ call given by SKM on November 26, 2020, Pal said: “To be frank, there were many options in front of us. After reaching the Punjab-Haryana border, our long cavalcade could have stopped where the police set up barriers. Some of us thought that we must push through. In the end, it was the sheer will of the people, especially of Punjab, that showed us the way.”

Dr Darshan Pal

“By the time we reached the Singhu border, SKM had truly become the face of the movement. Even organisations who chose to ignore our efforts earlier now happily chose to come on this umbrella,” Pal recalled. He also stressed the unifying bonds created in the year-long movement. “Muslims of Uttar Pradesh and Gujjar-Meenas of Rajasthan were brought together in this struggle, bridging the religious divisions between them,” he added.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) leader Rakesh Tikait, a prominent face of the movement in Western Uttar Pradesh, expressed his gratitude to Hanna Mollah, Dhawale and others from AIKS for patching up scattered and parochial movements into more united fronts in the early days of the movement against the farm laws. He then went on to talk about his recent visits to rural areas, where the necessity of a new farmers’ movement became clear to him.

Rakesh Tikait

“I was in Bihar some weeks ago: there, the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) Acts were axed 15 years ago. Now, agents of big companies sit where the mandi once was. Some of the lands here have simply been sold off,” he claimed.

“We assume migrants from Bihar to be labourers. This is a misconception; many of them have some land back home, but they have been forced to leave agriculture since they no longer get adequate prices. This is what happens when MSP (minimum support price) is lacking,” he said, adding that “this is why SKM says that our movement has only been suspended, not finished. For MSP, against the Electricity Amendment Bill, for crop insurance and pension for farmers, our fight continues.”

Giving a hint of SKM’s future plan, Tikait said: “We are now planning for Mission 2024, and we will work with Opposition parties on this. After all, they need us, too: farmers are the spine of the country’s democratic movement.”

Dhawale, president of AIKS, in his address, expressed his gratitude to Rajinder Sharma of Loklahar, who pushed him to write weekly about the farmers’ movement right from December 2020. “It is owing to him that I could compile meticulously weekly happenings in the movement. Second, I would also thank Sudhanva Deshpande of Leftword Books, who encouraged me to write a book immediately after the struggle concluded on December 9, 2021.”

Dr Ashok Dhawale

He spoke about the impact the movement had on him. “I can say without a doubt that in contemporary times, the world has not seen a movement as massive as ours. I give my red salutes to the toiling people who made it such a grand success.” He went on to emphasise the solidarity between workers and farmers that was built during the movement.

“I remember how Rakesh Tikait ji and I went to Vishakapatnam in the thick of the movement to extend our solidarity to about 30,000 workers striking to save the Vizag steel plant there. They, too, extended their support to our cause. It was through these actions that we were able to build a movement that covered the span of the country: from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and from Gujarat to Guwahati,” Dhawale stated.

Representatives of the industrial unions and rural working class too joined the seminar. Tapan Sen, general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, highlighted how the farmers’ movement saw three back-to-back general strikes, called jointly by SKM and the central trade unions. “The farmers’ support to workers gave us immense confidence and encouraged to struggle against the labour codes militantly. Even after the movement concluded, SKM gave it complete support to the two-day national strike held on March 28-29 this year,” Sen said.

“The biggest impact of the movement has been that India’s core productive classes have united and have correctly identified its enemy: the corporate-fascist nexus ruling the country today,” he said.

B Venkat, general secretary of the All India Agricultural Workers’ Union, spoke about the participation of dalits and tribals in the farmers’ movement.

The seminar was organised by the P Sundarayya Memorial Trust and Leftword Books.

All photographs were taken by the author.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post At Delhi Seminar, SKM Leaders Call for Next Phase of Farmers’ Movement appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Noida: Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday said his farmers’ group would begin a campaign against the Centre’s new military recruitment scheme Agnipath from August 7.

Addressing a farmers’ congregation in the Tikri area of Baghpat district in western Uttar Pradesh, Tikait said the “fight with the central government and the Uttar Pradesh government” over the issue was yet to begin.

“The campaign against the Agnipath scheme will begin on August 7 and continue for over a week,” the BKU national spokesperson said, calling for support from the farming community.

He also alleged that old police cases against farmers were being dug up in order to intimidate them in the wake of major protests in recent years.

“When the BJP’s government was formed in Uttar Pradesh, the cases against BJP members were closed. So, either they should be prepared for cases or we are ready for a movement,” Tikait said.

“Those in Lucknow and Delhi should listen to this carefully. You can break political parties, you can dissociate leaders of farmers’ groups but cannot break the farmers. Farmers will protest against you (government),” he said.

Tikait also highlighted issues related to acquisition of land, power tariff and pending sugarcane dues among others as he addressed the crowd of hundreds of farmers.

Tikait rose to national prominence during the 2020-21 protests in Delhi against the now-repealed central farm laws.

Courtesy: The Daily Siasat

The post Campaign against Agnipath scheme from Aug 7: Rakesh Tikait appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait who has been at the forefront of mobilising the agrarian community to come together as a strong vote bank in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections, has raised an alert on a possibility of disturbances in the counting of votes on March 10. “This is a university that can pass a failure, it can declare a losing candidate the winner, this has happened in the zila parishad elections,” said Tikait

In his trademark style he further said that he will ask the farmers to gather and “bring your tractor and bring dinner and breakfast too, get your sheets too,” in order to keep an eye on things when the counting was on. “Government officials’ votes have been cast by the government itself,” he said, adding that he does not know if change is imminent but he does know that people are upset. His alert on a “possibility of error in counting of votes”, is serious and the first of its kind said in the open by a leader.

Rakesh Tikait reached the Naveen Mandi of Muzaffarnagar on Sunday where he met the media too. Tikait  told the media that the farmers will get “slips in two days” and “electricity will also be fine” but the farmers should also keep “an eye” from afar on the counting as well.

“EVM पर निगरानी के लिए दो दिन की छुट्टी रखें किसान, वोटों की गिनती में हो सकती है गड़बड़ी” : @RakeshTikaitBKU #UPElection2022 pic.twitter.com/DatWYpAIM4

— News24 (@news24tvchannel) March 7, 2022

The farmers’ umbrella body Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had concluded its Mission Uttar Pradesh on March 2, 2022 in Varanasi where its leaders asked the people yet again to “punish the anti-farmer BJP”. Leaders declared that the eastern region polling will play an important role towards this goal. According to SKM leader Hannan Mollah, farmers have been forced to take this step of not voting for the ruling regime, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the Assembly Elections after the government failed to deliver on its written promises from December 2021. “The government has broken its promise. It neither formed a committee on MSP, nor withdrew the lawsuits filed against the farmers during the agitation, nor provided assistance [compensation] to the relatives of martyred farmers,” said Mollah. Further, he pointed out that Union Minister Ajay Mishra, the alleged accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre, retains his position in the Cabinet. Although this demand was not included in the written assurance, farmers condemned the speedy bail given to his son and co-accused Ashish, and that this bail was not contested by the government.

The CJP was the first to  bring to the attention of the Election Commission of India (ECI) as well as the State Election Commission (SEC), Uttar Pradesh, some reports received from the ground during polling in different phases of the Assembly elections. While the veracity of these claims of alleged bogus voting, malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), and threatening of voters could not be ascertained, CJP has sought an inquiry into these incidents.

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The post Losing candidate can be declared winner: Rakesh Tikait’s alert for UP Assembly Elections counting day   appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Ghazipur farmers on October 21, 2021 cleared their tents from the road below the flyover area, and demanded that police do the same to open the road leading to Delhi capital. Led by farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, farmers at one of the city border protest sites have cleared the road following criticism from the Supreme Court. 

Earlier in the day, the court said “roads cannot be blocked” while emphasising a need to resolve the conflict between farmers and the Centre. Accordingly, farmers removed their tents from the road and demanded that the city administration do the same. Some farmers even attempted to remove the wire mesh above the police barricade, in the presence of Tikait.

Speaking to ABP Live Tikait said farmers were clearing the area to allow ambulances to pass. He further said, “They [police] cannot stop us from marching towards Delhi. Courts have also said the same.”

Videos narrating the incident show a group of security personnel stationed on the opposite side of the wide barricade.

Earlier, on April 25, Singhu border farmers requested city authorities to remove the barricades in light of the second wave of Covid-19. At the time, farmer leaders sent a formal request via e-mail requesting police officials to open roads so that oxygen, ambulance and other essential services could efficiently travel towards the city.

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The post Ghazipur farmers clear roads, demand police do the same appeared first on SabrangIndia.

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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Hours after counting for state assembly elections concluded, the Haryana government on May 2, 2021 filed FIRs against farmer leaders under Section 144 and other sections of the Epidemics Act for holding mahapanchayats.

According to Advocate and legal advisor for the protesting group at Ghazipur border, the complaints were filed against BKU leader Rakesh Tikait and others at Bhiwani and Ambala police in Haryana on Sunday evening under Sections 269 and 270 of the Epidemics Diseases Act, 1987. The state government announced a seven-day lockdown from May 3 in nine districts.

Punjab Students Union State President Ranveer Singh Randhawa, State Senior Vice President Hardeep Kaur Kotla, Kirti Kisan Morcha leaders Bir Singh, Jagmandeep Singh Padhi, Rupinder Sandoya, Mistri Mazdoor Union Leader Tarsem Singh Jatpur and singer Pamma Dumewal were also charged with police cases by Punjab Police Noorpur Bedi (Ropar). Prior to this, the Moga police also registered a case against young farmers Sukhjinder Maheshri and Vicky Maheshri.

The move is reminiscent of the 2020 call by the central government to clear all anti-CAA protest sites such as Shaheen Bagh under the guise of social distancing. Accordingly, the FIRs were condemned by members of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) by the government in the name of the Coronavirus.

“Governments should stop disturbing the struggles of the people immediately and should cancel the cases lodged against young peasant leaders, otherwise, farmers will take this fight ahead,” said the SKM.

Regarding the recent elections, the group welcomed the “public mandate against the Bharatiya Janata Party”. Leader said West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala residents rejected the divisive communal politics of the BJP.

“At a time of severe health crisi and crumbling infrastructure due to lack of planning with lots of innocent citizens falling prey to the callous neglect of this government, and at a time when livelihood crisis is starkly apparent, the BJP tried to spin its communal polarisation agenda as the main issue confronting voters,” said SKM leader Darshan Pal.

Farmers called on the BJP to listen to people’s mandate which includes repeal of the three agricultural laws and legal guarantee to Minimum Support Price (MSP).

“Our campaign with state assembly voters asking them to punish BJP stands vindicated. BJP’s efforts not to make citizens’ livelihoods issues – the anti-farmer central farm laws and the anti-worker Labour Codes – as an election issue has clearly failed,” said the SKM.

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The post Delhi: FIRs against farmers resume as Assembly election vote counting concludes! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Protesting farmers have condemned the alleged April 2 attack on farmer leader Rakesh Tikait’s convoy at Tatarpur chowk in Alwar district of Rajasthan, reported the Indian Express.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader blamed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members for the attack where vandals broke car windows and threw ink at the vehicles. While no injuries were reported, local police told the newspaper that four people including the RSS-affiliated Akhil Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) student union president of a local university were taken into preventive custody for disrupting peace. According to India Today, an FIR was filed against around 33 people, who attacked the convoy with sticks.

Tikait was visiting Alwar’s Harsoli and Bansar regions to attend a kisan panchayat when the incident occurred. The farmer leader shared a video of the attack on Twitter that also showed a car’s damaged rear windshield.

Along with the video he tweeted in Hindi, “A murderous attack was made by the goons of BJP at Tatarpur crossing in Bansur, Alwar district. Pictures of the murder of democracy.”

Further, Bhiwadi Superintendent of Police Ram Moorthy Joshi said that the accused under the leadership of Raj Rishi Bharthari Matsya University Student Union President Kuldip Rao had halted the convoy by waving black flags and throwing ink at the vehicles.

While Tikait’s car had already gone ahead, his supporters had an altercation with the protesters.

Speaking on the incident, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the attack in a tweet, adding that the BJP has been behaving undemocratically right from the beginning of the farmer protest.

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