Conspiracy to malign farmers’ movement

Harsh Thakor

Tragically a historic peaceful march in the Capital of over 20 lakh peasants has been foisted as  a conspiracy against the nation. The sinister act of hoisting the Sikh flag on the red fort was undertaken by a BJP agent, Deep Sidhu. He infiltrated the ranks similar to Nazis masquerading as Communists in the burning of the Reichstag. There could not be a better manifestation of neo-fascism penetrating. The Kisan Sangarsh Commitee and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Krantikari) played into the hands of the rulers by raising Khalistani politics and robbing the agitation of it's secular democratic prestige.

The marchers stuck to the plan and did not divert from the route. Disruptionist elements from Kisan Sangharsh Commitee with Khalistani overtones violated the discipline or programme of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and stated attacking the police barricades. Tragically one farmer succumbed to police attacks. Tremendous violence is being unleashed with a cross of swords which was instigated by elements hand in glove with the ruling party.The Social media has distorted the picture accusing or framing the participants of violating the norms set for the march. BKU(Ugrahan) secretary told me that this conduct was a complete aberration of the agenda planned with almost every participant adhering to the conditions agreed. It has virtually no w given a licence to the rulers to launch repression, paving the way for justifying terror on the farmers.

I confirmed this news from leaders like BKU(Ugrahan) secretary Sukhdev Singh Khokri and Naujwan Bhrat Sabha leader Rupinder Singh Chaunda .The social media played a sinister game by portraying the march as an act of anarchy or plot against the state ,going to the extent of even denying the event as a genuine farmers rally.

I recommend all democrats to carefully read the statement of the BKU (Ugrahan) Joginder Singh Ugrahan, the state president of the organization, said that according to his organization, today's protest march has been successfully conducted in a disciplined manner. He said protest marching on the streets of Delhi is a fundamental democratic right of the people and the Modi government is looking for an excuse to crush this right. Today people have raised this right of themselves. Along with them, the firku elements strongly condemned the intentions of taking the movement down and using it for their purposes. He said that this is a struggle being fought for farmer's demands which is being supported by people of all religions and castes of the society. This movement cannot be allowed to be used for the purposes of creating a religion based state.

He said today's disciplined march by farmers has indicated the struggle for farmers' demands in front of the world and exposed the non-democratic attitude of the Modi government. Today's march message would have been more powerful if it was kept free of firku issues. The flag hoisting of the religion based state has provided the government an opportunity to campaign against the movement. He insisted that there should be a strong effort to keep the secular and democratic character of this struggle safe and such people should be removed from the struggle.

A sustained propaganda campaign must be lodged all over the nation exposing the treachery of the rulers in sponsoring anti-people characters to break the backbone of any genuine secular, democratic movement. It is a warning for the times to come, similar to the divide and rule ploy of the colonial British.

It also underlines how any Sikh extremist politics must be tooth and nail opposed. Sadly still some revolutionaries are sympathetic to the hoisting of the Sikh flag in red fort. All genuine Marxists or revolutionaries should condemn such ideas.

Sadly an event that should have been written in golden letters in the history of India in exposing how fake the claims are of the nation being  a genuine democracy is now being projected as an anti-national event. Morally, but for the disruption it should have been the greatest ever in exposing the false pretension sof India being a genuine democracy.

When watching Arnab Goswami speaking yesterday on NDTV programme I saw no better example of how the social media embraces India turning into a Hindu state and labels all democratic aspirations as anti-national. Morally no vent was given to any liberal speakers yesterday and the programme became a virtual platform for the supporters of Hindutva.

The farmers have literally gushed or stormed into the capital of Delhi like a deluge or torrent appearing. A spark was literally turned into a Prairie fire. There could hardly be a better illustration of David taking on the Goliath. Days of meticulous preparations like an army battalion getting itself ready have shown their first in the tractor parade today. Majority of participants from Punjab came from the BKU(Ugrahan) ranks followed by that of the Kirti Kisan Union. Also notable was the big landless labour dalit contingent participating organised by the Zameen Prapt Sangarsh Commitee and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union. Countless preparatory rallies and meetings were stage in Delhi and in Punjab. There is hardly an adjective to describe the level of intensity and discipline of the participants .In Delhi today a section of farmers entered into confrontation at the barricades and police threw tear gas. However in general it has gone on very peacefully. There could hardly have been a programme symbolizing Neo-fascism so illustratively or dynamically in its very hotbed. Nor has there been an event galvanising such broad sections to crystallize in this manner It depicts the great potential of the Indian masses to challenge or even topple neo-fascist opression. Great tactical maturity was shown particularly by the BKU(Ugrahan) group in not compromising nor being over offensive or violent. The Comrades were watchful of not trespassing boundaries which would lead to uncalled confrontation. The contingent has been so strong that even the might of the organs of the administration cannot shit the cylinder of the boiling lid of indignation. The rage of the farmers resembles that of a tidal wave in an Ocean. Inspite of the several permutations and combinations the basic Unity has been preserved to sharpen the struggle with the cutting edge of a sword. The stage in Delhi was used for projecting many anti-imperialist events or heroic leaders of liberation.Women's day was commemorated, martyrdom of Ghadr party members etc. Today 8 lakh tractors converged in the manner of a great naval fleet.

Some of the most notable preparatory programmes were launched all over Punjab sowing the seeds for the success of the historic event. The manner of conduct was a testimony of the orientation of mass line and deep integration into the day to day lives of the farmers. Great credit must be given to the hard toil of leaders like Rajinder Singh of Kirti Kisan Union,Joginder Singh Ugrahan of BKU(Ugrahan),Shingara Singh Mann of BKU(Ugrahan) for astutely thwarting all divisive or reactionary forces and compromises offered by the rulers. Their voices literally shimmered a spark into the hearts of the farmers .One got vibrations of another town formed in the protest areas. I apologize if repeating again but I cannot hide my great admiration for the relentless spirit of contingents of farmers marching from Punjab and Haryana.It reminds one of the flow of water in an Ocean.Arguably never in the history of India had such meticulous or painstaking preparations been made for a single revolutionary democratic event. The spark of resistance sparkled at a zenith rarely ever seen in India.

Preparatory Programmes For Delhi March  

Farmer s' convoys had started making moves to Delhi from January 20 for the proposed tractor parade to be held on the occasion of Republic Day .On January 22nd a large number of tractors staged the borders first and marched there as large convoys Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, the General Secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) said that by afternoon, the convoys of more than 30 thousand tractors had been moving to Delhi and by late evening farmers were going to Delhi through tractors. Were. He said that even though farmers will march to Delhi as convoys. Jagmahon Singh, General Secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakonda) said that a large number of farmers are reaching Delhi on the invitation of 32 farmer organizations from Punjab. He said that farmers are in enthusiasm after the breakup of talks with the central government. So Republic Day tractor parade will be historic.

On the other side, farmers in Punjab still protested in toll plazas, in front of the houses of the leaders belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party, in front of the business places of Ambani and Adani and in the parks of railway stations. Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan said that the district convoys from Khanauri and Dabwali migrated to Delhi under the leadership of the organization to join the Puraman Kisan Parade on January 26 in Delhi instead of marching at 11 am in the morning At 8 the small and big convoys have started passing by. Even the the most powerful tides did not obstruct them. On 20th January a convoy of 30000 tractors set off from Haryana.

In support a strong 3 day programme was held on Mumbai at Azad Maidan from January 23rd to 26th involving many spectrums of the opposition, particularly left peasant organizations.Significant mobilization from district of Nasik and Dahanu.It was also supported by parties like Shiv Sena and Congress. Around 12000 farmers participated in the assembly. It included a small section of industrial workers. In general the 3 bills were vociferously and several speakers labelled the current policies as 'fascist'.Rarely have I heard opposition party leaders condemn a ruling party so vociferously or seen so many trends work so collectively. In general the speeches were impressive in illustrating the consolidation of proto fascism.

In Nawanshahr (Lajwant Singh) on January 22nd a group of 300 tractors left from the district Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar to join the tractor parade in Delhi under the leadership of Kriti Kisan Union, led by Union State Committee Member Master Bhupinder Singh Waraich, District Secretary Tarsem Singh Bains, Kulwinder Singh Waraich, Paramjit Singh Sangha Shahabpur did. Various convoys were sent to Delhi by Union leaders Makhan Singh Bhanmajara, Buta Singh Mahmudpur, Avtar Kat, Jasbir Deep, Raghbir Singh Asmanpur, Hari Ram Rasoolpuri. Farmer leaders said that the farmers have taken a sharp shape against the agricultural laws and the Modi government has come down to making some moves but the farmer s' resentment and courage is responding to every move of the government.

On 21st January a major solidarity programme mobilising 250 tractors was staged in Nihalsinghwala district.Block Nihal Singh Wala's village rally started from Saidoka to Madhe K, Dhurkot Ransinh, Takhtupura, Bode, Nangal, Lohara, Kusa, Ram, Bilaspur,Vociferous slogans were raised condemning the Modi govt. and most elaborately the speakers summed up the purpose of the Republic day parade. Buta Singh Bhagike, Tiran Saidoke, Jagmohan Singh Saidoke, Hardeep Singh Mada, Kartar Pamma, Shingara Singh Takhtupura  addressed the gathering .They highlighted the essence of the bills in context of the overall oppression of the neoliberal policies of the govt.

 On 20th January in Pakora chowk in Tikri border a programme 'Godi media Juth rakha' was staged exposing the lies of the social media.With meticulous detail the anti-people nature of the bills were exposed and the deviationist ploys by the rulers to offer compromises.

Addressing the gathering BKU (EU)’s leaders Shingara Singh Mann and Jaswinder Singh Longowal said that the Modi government has been testing the patience of farmers, who have been struggling in bone chilling cold nights for months to get the agriculture laws repealed. Ten rounds of meetings have gone in which the government have insisted to form a sub-committee. The government resort to the Supreme Court to delay things under the absurd pretext of suspending the laws for a year and a half but all the farmers of the country, under the leadership of the farmer's organisations, are determined to fight till the laws are repealed. Additionally, the farmers demand to make MSP legal right for all the crops in all the states and to strengthen the universal public distribution system. The farmer leaders said that suspending the laws for a year or for a year and a half would cost the farmers dearly and the sword will keep hanging on them in the same way. Shingara Singh Mann said that the struggle would not relent without repealing the laws.

He shared that the rehearsal of tractor parade is going on in full swing in Punjab and Haryana to prepare for the Tractor Parade to be held on March 26 in Delhi. He insisted that the parade will be a peaceful exhibition of the unity on the Republic Day.

On 21st January in Sangat block a major rally was staged from Naruana to Dumwali Another rally was staged in Shakhot area in Barnala , involving 400 tractors. Balwant Mansial and Gurcharan Singh Chahal addressed the gathering.

On 19th January a protest against World trade Organisation burning flags and Effigies of Narendra Modi and WTO.

In support a strong 3 day programme was held on Mumbai at Azad Maidan from January 23rd to 26th involving many spectrums of the opposition, particularly left peasant organizations. Significant mobilization from district of Nasik and Dahanu.It was also supported by parties like Shiv Sena and Congress. Around 12000 farmers participated in the assembly. It included a small section of industrial workers. In general the 3 bills were vociferously and several speakers labelled the current policies as 'fascist’. Rarely have I heard opposition party leaders condemn a ruling party so vociferously or seen so many trends work so collectively. In general the speeches were impressive in illustrating the consolidation of proto fascism.

Harsh Thakor  is a A political commentator  based in Mumbai who regularly tours different  parts of India, particularly Punjab and also Telengana , Uttar Pradesh and Kolkata, to report democratic events and movements. Regularly write for ‘Frontier Weekly’, ‘Otters War Room’ and earlier for blogs ‘Democracy and Class Struggle’, ‘Naxal Revolution’ and Anti-Imperialist Camp.’ Main area of writing is on ‘Massline in India”, ’Maoism and International movements, ‘Peasant movement in Punjab’.

Back to Home Page

Frontier
Jan 30, 2021