Day 209

Toll 520+

#FarmersProtest

Rana ji

Even I am bored of calling out the government’s apathy but there are stories from the protest that must be recorded for posterity. I just try to record some of the thousands of stories transpiring every day – stories of solidarity and resistance.

The latest is government harassing a dhaba owner who has been supporting the protests since they began. Ram Singh Rana ji has two dhaba’s, both by the name Golden Hut on National Highway 44. One is at Sonipat another at Kurukshetra. Both are very popular with travellers, especially Panjabis going to the Delhi airport.

When protests started, Rana ji turned his Sonipat dhaba into a free service centre. He started langar of water, milk and 25 kg wheat flour packets free to protesters. This free langar to protesters has been critical through the past seven months and has been possible by Rana foregoing huge profits.

For some weeks now the government has been issuing notices to Rana over his social service. The services continued unabated. The day before the government blocked access to Rana’s dhaba in Kurukshetra by placing stones barriers. Golden Hut, Kurukshetra has been Rana’s only source of income last few months.

What does this tell us about the government? That even those doing social service will be prosecuted. This has happened earlier with individuals, arthiyas, farmer leaders who have been booked under various charges. The government, elected to serve the people cannot even talk to protesters but is blocking even those from our society who serve society – who perform sewa.

The farmers stand with Ram Singh Rana. They will stand by all those who have stood by them in the past seven months. The police says it will close all the dhabas on the highway. If the government does that, all hotel and dhaba owners will protest.

As of now, only Rana’s dhaba has been blocked, Rana seems to be singled out for performing sewa. BKU leader Balbir Singh Chaduni leader has announced the Samyukt Kisan Morcha KM look into the matter and if the government does not remove the blockades, the farmers will remove them. No one can stop sewa.

Update: SKM leaders met at Golden Hut dhaba and have issued a notice to government and NHAI to remove barricades (white stones in picture) by July 2, else the farmers will take strict action such as blocking the whole highway, jamming the traffic.

Day 208

Toll 518+

#FarmersProtest

Deewar

Across the wall of government apathy around the farmers protest, stand the central leadership and the farmers. They do not dialogue because the elected leaders have not talked for 5 months.

Leader: I am just a phone call away. You do not know how the path you have chosen to walk on will end.

Farmers: we know our path could end in our loss but the path you have chosen will certainly harm all of us.

Leader: I am a fakir. I have played my game. I do not care if I lose or win. But you have time, you have other options, try something else.

Farmer: No, our principles, our rules of engagement do not permit us to walk away.

Leader: Uff! Your principles! What use are your principles? You sit in cold, you stand in rain, you suffer in heat and storms. What have your principles given you? A small land holding, so much loan…

Look at me, look. This is me, that is you. We started together: I selling tea, you farming land. See where you are left behind, see where I have reached. Today I have the army, the police, the courts, the corporates, the banks, the parliament, the policies, what do you have?

Farmer: we have courage, resolve and food.

(adapted from movie Deewar)

Note: Along with 50 trolleys of wheat that reached Singhu yesterday, since young men had to go back for paddy sowing, thousands of elderly have reached Tikri today. The game the fakir has played is on.

Day 207

Toll 518+

#FarmersProtest

Petty Tricks

The protest site at Singhu, police station Kundali, is on national highway 44. For the last seven months now, the site has forced traffic to Delhi to take alternate routes to come and get out of Delhi. One such crossing on the alternate route also crosses through the protest site which itself extends 7+ kilometers to Badh Khlasa and beyond.

The habitations next to the road comprise shopkeepers, businesses and labour settlements for there are many factories along the road. These folks, through directly impacted by the protest have never really had cause to complain. The reason is the protesters take their consent for their activities, have been running langars where the neighbours join, have even been running makeshift schools for children from the settlements.

During recent COVID19 second wave, farmers provided oxygen and medicines to their neighbours. When government struck down Internet, the neighbours put up their WiFi networks passwords for free use. It is a symbiotic relationship.

But that can’t be said for the villages at a short distance from the main road. Though many of those villagers have helped the protests with unending supply of milk and fresh vegetables, there are also groups in those villages which the right-wing plays against the protesters.

One such gathering took place yesterday at Sersa village. The mahapanchayat was held under the banner of Rashtrwadi Ekta Manch. They have now projected that they are distressed by the protests, especially the blocked road, and have demanded one side of the road be opened. During the recent COVID19 crises, to enable oxygen supply, the protesters had opened one side of the road.

Whether the two sides – so called distressed villagers and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha – reach an agreement or not is yet to be seen, one aspect is absolutely clear: the government is not interested in talks with the SKM. The government is trying every petty trick to keep attacking the protest but will not do that one thing to end the protests – talk.

My hunch is, these propped up protesters will not be able to match the stamina and resilience of the farmers on protests. They will tire soon. Yesterday, some farmers protesting against CM Khattar in Morni, Panchkula were arrested and released by evening. Just another tactic to wear out the protesters instead of talking to them or repealing the Laws. What a pathetic display of arrogance and inversion of democracy.

Day 206

Toll 518+

#FarmersProtest

Hul Kranti Diwas

The pandemic second wave set back to the momentum building in rest of India against the Farm Laws. Before the slowdown in April, the Samyukth Kisan Morcha leaders had been able to contact farmers in Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh. Southern states Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala had expressed solidarity.

Now that the pandemic peak is behind us, this unity is again being reinforced. One of the most important and threatened people of India are its tribal populations. SKM has decided to observe ‘Hul Kranti Diwas’ on 30 June at all borders. Members from tribal areas will be invited at dharna sites on that day.

SKM has also extended its full support to the tribal of village Silger on the border of Sukama and Bijapur districts, who are fighting against government’s decision to establish a CRPF camp in the area. This land comes under the 5th Schedule of the Constitution and the land is being taken over without any referral/decision of the Gram Sabhas.

SKM has condemned the police firing on protesting tribal on May 17 in which 3 tribal died on the spot, one pregnant lady tribal died later; 18 were injured and 10 are missing.

Meanwhile, more incidents of resistance keep coming up in Haryana and Panjab. While in Haryana the farmers protest BJP and ally JJP, in Panjab farmers are gheraoing Congress and demanding accountability. This rise of political consciousness is the result of the farmers protest. It will only intensify from here on. The farmers’ moves in Uttar Pradesh will make the government lose its sleep.

Day 205

Toll 518

#FarmersProtest

Ablaze

A man has died from burn injuries at the Tikri border protest site. The 42-year-old person from Kasar village, Jhajjar district, Haryana has been identified as Mukesh Kumar.

Accusations and explanations are flying whether it was self-immolation or murder. There are two videos, one in which he says he self-immolated himself, in another he accuses others of targeting him. There is some evidence of him having bought petrol, having a liquor bottle in his pocket, but only a thorough investigation will reveal the truth. The police have arrested one accused.

This is the third death at the protests, two earlier ones took place in March and April. This is indeed sad. This is not what the protestors came here to do. Yet, this is our society, crime happens. Crime must be checked but in this case, I believe, we can not blame the protesters or unions for the events.

This is a law and order issue. This is an issue of the extended protests. The government is responsible for protests extending, for them no longer even conducting talks, for them actually allowing such incidents to occur which demoralise the protestors.

At the protests sites, the government is playing the war of attrition. In Haryana, the government is playing the war of distraction. All this to prevent momentum from building up in western UP which goes to elections in six months.

To say farmers lit up the man to create martyrs is not only facile but insidious. Just look up the toll above to see how many martyrs have already been created. The farmers do not need to create another one.

Day 203

Toll 513+

#FarmersProtest

June 26

As the seventh month anniversary of the protests is approaching, and the government remains apathetic, the Samyukth Kisan Morcha has decided to mark June 26 as – Save Democracy, Save Farmers Day. It was on this day, in 1975, that the Indira Gandhi government implemented Emergency.

The fact is, while it is not declared, since Demonetisation, our nation has been in a state of undeclared Emergency. On June 26, this year, the farmers will give gherao all Raj Bhavans across the country and give memorandums to the respective Governors addressed to the President against the Farm Laws.

Meanwhile, with farmers having to return to sow paddy, the women have once again taken up the gauntlet to keep the vigil on the borders. They have been arriving in huge numbers. Here are two short videos of women and men protesting a few days back when the theme was: free the intellectuals.

Click here to see videos by Randeep S Maddoke

Day 201

Toll 512

#FarmersProtest

Unlock

Now that the peak second wave COVID-19 is officially behind us and the country is opening up again, it is time to evaluate a genuine concern many well-wishers and also naysayer lapdog media raised a few weeks ago. It was about the effect of COVID-19 on the farmer protests.

Many feared the protests will become a super-spreader event like the Kumbh Mela or the later rounds of the Bengal elections. The farmers and labour, the leaders of the various unions, believed a simple home truth: the Farm Laws will devastate us anyway, will cause thousands if not lakhs of suicides, just that they would remain invisible to the country, like they have been in the last two decades – close to 4 lakh suicides.

If the virus has to devastate us, they felt, it is better we die fighting than cowering in our homes. Of course, various unions were at different points regarding the virus and later the vaccines. Whether to sanitise or not, whether to mask or not, how much social distancing is possible. But there was no question of going back. That is the nature of a Morcha – battle encampment. You do not withdraw.

There is a general belief in rural India that vaccines kill healthy people. Though anecdotal, people have seen this happen and news spreads like wild fire. Some unions asked for vaccine camps, government was very slow in moving. Many did not turn up for vaccination.

On masks, I am not sure we understand the gravity of the problem on ground: insidious elements, backed by the government, could enter the protests and harm them from within. There were incidents of tents being put to fire, there have been incidents in the past of infiltrators trying to sabotage the protests.

Now that we have figures, we can clearly see that in the last few weeks, a total of 10 people at the protests have died from COVID-19. 2 people died from post-COVID complications. This is the lowest count anywhere in the country. This is certainly far lower than what would have happened if the protesters had gone home.

The real numbers of cases and dead are just not available. Stigma, poor reporting, deliberate obfuscation have forever hidden the real numbers from us. The protests did not become a super-spreader event. Hence all those well-wishers need to take heart. The lapdog media needs to shut up.

In fact, while the government failed to contain the virus, the makeshift hospitals at the protest sites helped the people around protests sites with beds, oxygen and medicines.

While no one knows why the virus did not devastate the protests, the question should be a prime importance to all researchers. From what I heard earlier from doctors, open air makes a huge difference. If I may also suggest, though with no evidence, psychologically, a sense of purpose and courage makes a difference. We all know how resolute and steadfast the farmers remain.

While officially the second wave peak seems to be behind us, we are unlocking, if we look at last year’s data, you will see the cases grow post-lockdown: from July to September 2020. That is why it is too early to say the virus crises is behind us. We must remain cautious and continue to maintain protections.

Yet, we must note something. I humbly request: if we are not farmers and labour, if we are not at the protests, we must all refrain from pontificating, from sermonising to the protesters.

These farmer and labour have produced food for us for over half a century, in fact, from the birth of civilisation. Please know, they are sensible, they would not jeopardize us. If possible, look at their deep crises and shift your attention to the government which remains apathetic to their issues.

Please use your energies to target the government not the protests.

Day 199

Toll 505+

#FarmersProtest

Caste as Fault Line

The alliance yesterday between Shiromani Akali Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party is more a coming together to stay relevant rather than to win the next Panjab elections in 2022.

Since the sacrilege incidents in 2015/16, SAD has been on a downward spiral in Panjab. The party was decimated in the 2017 elections. Yet, in spite of big statements during the 2017 election campaign and later in Panjab Assembly, it is Congress’ Captain Amarinder and SAD’s control on the Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee – SGPC that has kept SAD propped up in the state. The BSP has not won an MP seat in Panjab since 1998 and MLA seat since 2002. Its MLA vote percentage in Panjab has reduced from 5.69% in 2002 to 1.52% in 2017. BSP remains largely unengaged with the caste issues in the state.

AAP entered Panjab with a bang in 2017. It did not perform as well as it expected or even the media expected. Now in the run up to 2022, it has not been able to build itself up. As of now, after the break-up with SAD last year, over Farm Laws, the BJP is at an all time low in Panjab. In fact, now after six months of the famer protests, senior BJP leadership in the state has started issuing statements against the central leadership on farmer issues.

The Congress, in spite of its dismal performance in Panjab, seemed to be without competition in the state in the 2022. For the past few weeks, it is entangled by inner factionalism, some even on caste lines. That is why, it could very well be that the SAD-BSP alliance has the blessings of the Central BJP leadership. While the larger sentiment remains anti-BJP, this alliance could break the traditional Dalit votes from the Congress.

For the farmers protest, the alliance forces Panjab’s numerically less, but powerful and dominant Jutts to re-consider their position. Jutts are about 25% of the population. Some are landed, many small and marginal. Dalits are 32% in Panjab. The BJP has been trying to rouse the Dalit sentiments against the Jutts but has not succeeded. Now with BSP being reactivated, that fault line can open based on a ground issue – sowing rates of paddy.

For the last many years, since UP and Bihar labour has reduced footprint in Panjab, now because of COVID-19 for two years, the local labour – mostly landless Dalits and marginal Jutts – have been asking for revised rates for their labour. The Jatts, themselves struggling with low rates at which they sell paddy, contest the labour rates.

In some villages, Jutts pass resolutions, even through panchayats and Gurdwaras, fixing the rates. They go to the extent calling for boycott of any farmer or labourer who does not abide by their paddy sowing rates. This has become a matter of contention, even an impasse in some cases.

Earlier this week, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) issued a statement against such ‘discriminatory’ resolutions passed by any panchayat. Yet, the labour demand more. They say no rates should be fixed without consultation with the labour.

Like women, right from the beginning of the protest, the labour has stood with the farmers. We have all celebrated that solidarity. In fact, the slogan itself is ‘Kisan Mazdoor Ekta Zindabad’.

That is why SKM needs to step in and solve the impasse. If the caste fault line widens, both the farmers protest and Panjab as a state going to elections will suffer by BJP getting a foothold through the backdoor.

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.