Farmers Movement Archive

Farm stir: 1st mahapanchayat in Punjab today after success in UP, Haryana

Instead of focusing only on Delhi borders where the farmers have been camping since November, the focus of the protest has been rest to concentrate more on garnering support. And after massive turnout and success at mahapanchayats in Muzzaffarnagar, Jind, Dadri, Kurukshetra, Saharanpur, Shamli and Rajasthan;s Bharatpur, for the first time in Punjab — one of the epicentres of the ongoing protest — a mahapanchayat is being held.What is a mahapanchayat?A mahapanchayat is an assembly of people belonging to several surrounding villages. Though farmers are the main constituents of these mahapanchayats, other workers are also joining these gatherings. Khap panchayats generally call these mega gatherings. Revival of farmers' protestThe mahapanchayats are being seen a revival point of the farmers' protest which came under fire after Republic Day violence when a group of protesters breached the security of the Red Fort and hoisted religious flags. While the entire Republic Day episode in under scrutiny, farmers are getting support for their issue from mahapanchayats.What happened in the mahapanchayats so farDemands of "gaddi wapsi"have been raised in one of the gatherings if the government fails to repeal the farm laws. Protesters resisted the presence of political leaders at their protest site in Delhi. But these gatherings have become political platforms in the past few days as Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi, Sachin Pilot addressed mahapanchayats.

Hindustan Times

11-02-2021

India