Day 197

Toll 505+

#FarmersProtest

Jabta

As we near 200 days of the farmers protest, I am reminded of a statement early on, by a tall farmer leader. He had said: ‘In every battle/struggle it is very important to maintain the Jabta – Code of Conduct. Without Jabta, the winning side can lose; with Jabta, the losing side can win.’

For the past many months, we have seen how the farmers have maintained excellent Code of Conduct on the Delhi’s borders. Off late, given that the BJP keeps instigating the farmers in Haryana to gather resources in the state against the official machinery, wants to keep the protesters confined to Haryana, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha has now issued a few guidelines on protests against BJP.

The SKM has said: the social boycott and agitations against the leaders of BJP and its allies will be in the context of their official programs, including government and political, and not for their personal or private events, like weddings and participation in funeral processions. All resistance will be completely peaceful, through the use of black flags or slogans, and will not involve any violence or use of force.

This is important so farmers can focus on Delhi borders and upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections in 2022 which will pave way to national elections 2024. Ghazipur protest organisers have issued a roster on how various parts of Western UP should move on particular dates, through the month, every month, to reach the Ghazipur border. Meanwhile, district-wise, huge numbers of farmers from Haryana are reaching Singhu and Tikri.

The farmers have also rejected the MSP announced for Kharif crops, especially Paddy, and Tur and Urad Dals. The Centre has increased the Paddy rates by Rs 72 to Rs 1,940 per quintal from Rs 1,868 per quintal last year. Farmers say this increase violates the Swaminathan Commission guidelines which was a BJP manifesto promise in 2014. Instead of using Comprehensive Cost C2 as the cost concept on which a profit margin of at least 50 % will be added, the government has continued with its old trickery of using Paid Out Costs + notional value of Family Labour.

This developments clearly indicate that while the nation may have forgotten the protests, lapdog media might have ignored the protests, on ground the Code of Conduct is strong, the protests are strengthening, and the government will have no respite from them until it takes back the Farm Laws and legalises MSP.

Day 195

Toll 502+

#FarmersProtest

Maize

This time the Central government forced Direct Bank Transfer to pay farmers for wheat procurement. This was done to ostensibly keep Arthiyas (middle-men) out.

Though Panjab and Haryana expressed reservation, they were forced to comply. On ground, there was an acute shortage of bardana – gunny sacks which Central agencies regulate. Untimely rains compounded the misery and a lot of wheat was wasted. Yet, lapdog media has been mentioning how many crores disbursed etc.

Now it turns out that Centre has no Rural Development Fund for Panjab. This fund was earlier generated through taxes in Mandis. Also, in a state where 45% farming is tenacy, DBT causes issues for both small and marginal tenancy farmers as well as arthiyas who have invested in farmers and procurement systems.
This maize season, declared MSP is Rs 1850 per quintal. Farmers are getting between Rs 700 to Rs 800 – basically Rs 7-8 per kg. Does anyone of us who will pay Rs 50 to Rs 150 for a kg of makki ka atta have any answers?

But the Centre could not care less. It has an agenda to de-peasantize farmers and it is going ahead with it even though Farm Laws are not yet implemented. It is inflicting a million cuts even as farmers are resolved to oppose the final blow.

The toll at the #FarmersProtest has crossed 500.

The longest continuous large protest since Independence has faced extreme weather conditions, the virus, but most of all government apathy.

It reminds me of the line all of us from Panjab learn as children. That is how we know our history. Yet, to see it play out as adults – with a minor name change – shows us how social systems change from to democracy, rulers change to leaders, but power and hegemony stays intact.

Thank you Anu Sandhu, Amar Mander, Jai Singh Sandhu. We have this number because of your constant and diligent efforts. Thank you Baljeet Kaur for help with translation.

Condolences and Salute!

Dear Friends,

On June 1 evening, I was pleased to speak at the Lyallpur Young Historians Club with Tohid Chattha and Khola Cheema on the completion of six months of the #FarmersProtest, the raging second wave of the pandemic, and their implications for India.

Please see here …

Day 188

Toll 494

#FarmersProtest

Common Adversary

A particular feature of the right-wing government is that it never governs through dialogue but rules through police and intelligence agencies, paid for by the tax payer. Of course, Hindutva has its own cadre of goons too but those are cowards.

But for their salary, the jawan who is compelled by the current government to stand against the kisan is also equally suffering the apathy of the regime. This is illustrated by the storm on May 31st night at Singhu border.

The strong winds and heavy rain did not spare the police encampments. They too came down along with farmer camps. While the government provided no aid, next day, farmers and police together repaired their broken habitations.

Both these videos show that. One, the Panjabi one, shows the devastation. The other, the Hindi one, shows the effort to bring down broken structures so that can be put up again. The Panjabi one says, ‘The government is unaffected. The need is for the whole country to unite against these arrogant rulers.’

The way the institutions of the nation, even vaccines and healthcare is being privatised, the day is not far when police will also be turned into low paid, private militias. Those on the ground now understand this.

Videos: Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee. See here …

Dear Friends,

As you know, for over six months now I have been attempting to articulate the #FarmersProtest. A few weeks back Christine Moliner from OP Jindal University invited me to join a seminar on the protests, in a panel titled ‘Political Communication & Media Coverage of the Movement’.

The proceedings of the entire seminar are here – to download or play.

I am placing just my 11.38 minute snippet – thanks to Gurshamshir Singh – on how I see my role as an articulator of the protests. It is a bit reflective about how I see myself in my role – my position, my orientation, my own filters on what I say and why I say that much and not more, what to me is the role of Panjab and the role of narratives in the protest, and finally my suggestion on what all of us who are in solidarity can do, must do.

Please listen here …

Day 183

Toll 484+

#FarmersProtest

PUDA Ground, Patiala

The farmers protest have a clear goal: repeal Farm Laws, legalise MSP, stop Electricity and Environment Ordinances. Yet, are the protests only about that?

No, for various farmers unions, as per their independent charters, the protests are about multiple issues, all leading to a critique and opposition of the neo-liberal structure of the state.

For many weeks now, India is in the grip of the pandemic second wave. Officially, in the last two months we have doubled the number of dead. Unofficially, we all know the numbers are many times higher. For once even lapdog media, at least print, has kept its eyes on the catastrophe. Even over a month after the scarcity of beds, ventilators, oxygen scarcity hit us, we have not plugged the gaps.

The government remains absent. Civil society groups try their best to match the demands. Some corporates step in to fulfil requirements. MoSha hide behind high walls.
What do we the people do? What can we do? We seek help on social media, we vent on social media. We get help on social media, we get shoulders to cry on. But how do we hold the government accountable? 2024 is too far. If we know one thing, it is: likely the government will over come the crises and win again. If you disagree with that, do you really have a plan or just hope?

Instead of getting into these debates, BKU Ekta Ugrahan has decided to hold a day-and-night protest at PUDA Grounds, Patiala from today until the 30th of May. They demand:

- Fill 30% vacancies in the state health department.

- Bring all major private hospitals under government control.

- Fix treatment costs for patients in small private hospitals.

- End black market on necessary medicines, oxygen and other equipment.

- Stop penalising, jailing violators. Instead run information and education campaigns.

- Instead of blanket lockdowns and curfews, arrange food for the needy. Open up the Public Distribution System.

- Instead of forcing vaccines, resolve vaccine apprehensions.

- Arrange COVID-19 test and basic medical aid at village and urban neighbourhood level.

- Make provisions to treat those suffering other deadly illnesses.

- Open the treasury to increase government capital investment in all public sectors including health sectors.

- Impose direct taxes on big corporates and landlords.

BKU Ekta Ugrahan’s instruction to every protester is to take precautions, wear masks, keep necessary distance. The union has also taken the responsibility of implementing basic medical aid and preventing possible virus spread.

Captain Amarinder Singh of the Congress-ruled Panjab adopted the same line as the Central BJP government: the protest will be a super spreader, don’t do it.

This approach, to me is flawed because it is an incomplete truth. The full truth is: yes, as government, as administration, as your elected representatives, we failed. We failed to build infrastructure to contain the pandemic. We wasted your taxes. Now we are trying our best. We are doing this, this and this… We welcome all your suggestions and commit to fulfil them. Would you please consider not gathering and turning the protest into a super-spreader event?

Sadly, that never happens. Every government scares us, talks down to us, and never reflects or accepts its own omissions. That is why, protests are not a choice, but a necessity.

Day 179

Toll 478+

#FarmersProtest

Solidarities

On May 21, the protesting farmers at Mayyad Toll plaza, outside Hisar in Haryana, had given a call to oppose the Khattar government’s FIR by deceit against farmers by gathering at the Kranti Park, Hisar today. Beating expectation of a few thousand farmers gathering, on ground more than a lakh farmers have gathered, more are arriving.

The administration has called for talks in which 11 members of the Mayyad Toll Plaza Committee plus members of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha core committee are participating. The reason to include local people in the talks underlines the fact that localites are best equipped to argue their case and should not be overshadowed by senior leaders.

Earlier in the day, a few farmers were injured when police used lathis to repel them as they approached the barricades outside Hisar airport. They had information that the Deputy CM Haryana, Dushyant Chautala from Jannayak Janata Party – who had earlier sold the farmer votes to his party to the BJP and helped it form government – was at the airport. A cat and mouse game of ambulances took place and he perhaps escaped or maybe he was not there in the first place. The tense situation was finally diffused. A farmer, Ram Charan Kharab had a heart attack and has sadly died at today’s protest.

Yesterday, in spite of the storm and rains last few days, thousands of farmers reached Singhu to mark 6 months of the protests. Post harvest, the farmers from Panjab have made huge donations to various farmer unions. While India grapples with the virus, rest of Indian farmers are too shaken by the pandemic reaching villages, the north Indian farmers are self-funding their protests in a big way.

Now as protests are completing 6 months, 12 political parties have given the call to support May 26 as Black Day. So nice of them! Just hope if and when they come to power they do not again turn anti-farmer. Farmers have memories of a elephant. They know the past half century and how political parties have betrayed them.

The Opposition parties must tell Captain Amarinder Singh, CM of Panjab, to explain with complete transparency to BKU Ekta Ugrahan what his government has done to contain the pandemic in the state and not label their intent to question him on lapses in COVID-19 management as potential super-spreaders.

The farmers are showing us, unless we hold governments – states or Centre – accountable on their lack of performance, more and more of us do it, farmers and labour from rest of country, urban middle-class everywhere, unless we unite in solidarity, there will be no respite from mal-governance, foul laws, and the pandemic.

Update: Farmers win against Haryana police – FIRs to be quashed. One month time sought because as per law High Court will quash them.

Day 175

Toll 476 (approx.)

#FarmersProtest

Summer Rain

a silent meditation today, 9 minutes. A drive through the rain hit encampments at Tikri yesterday. Blurry.

Footage: BKU Ekta Ugrahan