Farmers Movement Archive

Movement of ’40s in focus in Mansa

BATHINDA: With farmers holding their ground against the Centre over its three contentious farm laws, their struggle has found a parallel in the movement of Muzaras (tenant farmers or sharecroppers) of the 1930s-40s when they had fought against biswedaris (big landlords) and succeeded in enactment of the PEPSU Occupancy Tenants Act in 1953, allowing tenants to become owners of their land while abolishing the biswedari system. The Muzara movement which started in 1930s when pro-freedom organisation Riyasti Praja Mandal had taken shape and continued even after gaining independence till 1949. The violent police and army action at Kishangarh village in Mansa on March 19, 1949 wherein 4 muzaras (tenant farmers) were killed proved as a turning point for ending of the tenancy system. Following the incidents of 1949, Kishangarh had become a beacon of farmers’ resistance and fight against feudalism and monarchy. The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has decided to observe the day of March 19 in a big way in remembrance of the big fight of peasants against the powers, saying that the farmers are again through a similar fight. The biswedaris had taken control of lands, reducing small original owners to tenants and the Muzaras had to pay batai (share crop) to biswedaris after tilling the land. The batai at times used to be up to half of the total crop. Painted in red and white with symbols of left organisations, a gate at the entrance of the village is a reminder of the sacrifices of peasants for the rights of lands, said Hardev Singh Arshi, a former MLA and senior leader of Communist Party of India (CPI) who had closely looked into Muzara movement. After the formation of Riyasti Praja Mandal in 1927, its president Sewa Singh Thikriwala had started organizing tenants in several villages asking them to stop paying batai. Praja Mandal members Bhagwan Singh Longowalia and Jagir Singh Joga started supporting and leading the resistance. The Muzara movement started in 1930 when tenants in some villages started refusing to pay batai to the landlords. Violent incidents happened in many villages when tenants declined to pay batai, said Arshi and senior left leader Kulwant Singh Kishangarh. In 1936, the All India Kisan Sabha was formed and Praja Mandal leaders got associated with it. Then in 1948 communist leader Teja Singh Sutantar formed Red Party, which got the support of kisan sabha and praja mandal. Red Party demanded land ownership rights to tilling peasants. During this period, the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) comprising eight princely states was formed, but the condition of peasants remained same. Freedom fighters and communist leaders Teja Singh Sutantar, Dharm Singh Fakkar, Jangir Singh Joga, Chajju Mal played a big role in the movement. “We take big inspiration from that historic struggle of tenant peasants for gaining ownership rights. Taking cue from it, we are fighting to keep control of the lands which are being eyed by the corporates,” said BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan.

The Times of India

2021-03-18

Amritsar