Farmers Movement Archive

Farmer movement was all omnipresent and omnipotent in Punjab

Bathinda: Already termed historic by many, the farm struggle has had far reaching impact beyond the agriculture sector. The movement brought the role of farmers in the society to the fore and social bonding during the stir increased mutual acceptance of different sections. The social engineering made people from all walks of life come out in the open and it is hoped that it will have a positive impact in Punjab’s villages bringing in harmony between castes and classes. The various trading community, commission agents, rice millers, mainly Hindus, supported the farmers in big way. The various employee organisations too supported the agitation in different ways. Villages and towns sent pinnis and gajrela to keep the protesters warm during the previous winter season. Students from various colleges and universities turned up in large numbers to support proteters. They managed the libraries at the protest sites at the borders of Delhi and in Punjab to inculcate reading habits among farmers, especially the older persons during their free time. They ran schools for unlettered and young children accompanying their mothers. Many of the youngsters, mainly from artistic backgrounds, also entertained the farm activists with patriotic, revolutionary and folk songs. The youngsters also made the agitation tech savvy and ran social media campaigns taking the thoughts and actions of protesting farmers to global audiences. The protest was everywhere — Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The biggest social impact of the farmer agitation was felt in the warming up of the relation between farmers from Punjab and residents of Haryana. The ill-will went for a toss as hordes of people from neighbouring state came out in open in providing support, leaving behind bitter talks revolving around contentious SYL canal issue. While farmers sat on protests at various places in Punjab, the logistics were provided by wide sections of society, ensuring deeper social bonding. “The shopkeepers near the protest sites were never angry even though their business interests might have harmed. They came out in support, providing various items. How the farmers could forget the gestures of people like Ram Singh Rana, who despite having no connections with the protesters, opened the gates of hotel for them. Provided every facility by spending crores and even faced the ire of the government,” said farm leader Buta Singh Burjgill, giving an example. “How can we forget the social leanings. We have lots of examples how people from various walks of life came forward to provide everything of necessity. People came to us with hope,” farm leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan said. With a large chunk of Punjab farm bodies, associated with the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, deciding to take the political root and contest the upcoming Punjab assembly elections, the impact of the stir could be deep and far varied. Haryana’s milk thickened sweet tea of friendship Chandigarh: The year-long agitation by farmers at the various sites on the Delhi border infused a sense of solidarity among the people of Punjab and Haryana as the people of both states battled together to get the three contentious farm laws withdrawn. Having tasted victory after over a year of struggle, farmers of the two states are determined to jointly take on more such battles in the future. The cooperation between them at protest sites at Singhu and Tikri on the Delhi border proved that the two states might have separated five decades ago but their bonding is still intact. The public display of affection and brotherhood by farmers of both states has also made it clear that the people of Punjab and Haryana have no enmity with each other on what has been termed to be the most volatile issues — Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) water. People from Punjab were serving food at langars (community kitchens) established at the protest sites on Delhi borders, but it was Haryana farmers ensuring a smooth supply of milk, and other food and cooking material needed. Before leaving the protest sites earlier this month after the Centre withdrew the laws, BKU Rajewal faction chief from Punjab Balbir Singh Rajewal said, “When we had reached for launching agitation at Singhu (on November 27, 2020), we had to take tea without milk but from next day, because of the people of Haryana, we never felt shortage of milk till the end of the protest after a year.” Not only did villages in Jhajjar and Rohtak districts, which were close to the Tikri border and villages of the Sonipat district adjacent to the Singhu border, ensured a regular supply of milk at protest sites, but also villages in Jind district. Some even stopped supplying milk to dairies to keep farmers camping at Tikri and Singhu well-stocked. Apart from milk, the Haryana farmers also ensured a supply of flour, rice, pulses, wood for cooking. Not a single major incident of disagreement between the people of the two states was witnessed during the entire agitation. As Haryana was a transit point for the Punjab farmers visiting Tikri and Singhu borders, people in Haryana established langars at several places on the roads. When the agitation suffered a setback due to violence at the Red Fort on Republic Day, people from Haryana infused a new lease of life by reaching in large numbers to the protest sites at Delhi borders. Farmers from Punjab reciprocated whenever there was any action against the farmers in Haryana by the state authorities, as was evident from incidents at Hisar and Karnal where the state authorities had taken action against the protesting farmers. Senior BKU leaders from Punjab came out in support of Haryana farmers and all groups worked together under the umbrella organisation, Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, to iron out differences among the Haryana unions and Punjab groups, comprising 32 unions and BKU (Ekta Ugrahan). Even differences with Gurnam Singh Charuni, head of Haryana BKU Charuni group, were resolved swiftly. It was only because of that that the authorities in Haryana had to release the farmer leaders immediately, and in the Karnal incident, even a judicial probe was ordered because of pressure brought to bear by all of them together. Punjab’s finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal even released an emotive video on social media complimenting the people of Haryana for strongly standing up with the people of Punjab “like a younger brother”. “It has proved that both Punjab and Haryana are two branches of the same tree. People of Haryana have not only won the hearts of people from Punjab, but have bought it,” Manpreet had said. Sociologist and retired academician from Panjab University at Chandigarh, Professor Manjit Singh, said the farmers of both the states were apparently scared of losing land or thinking that they would become tenants of their own land and this feeling perhaps brought them together. “The farmers’ agitation was a new phenomenon and historic. This bonding between the farmers of these two agrarian states was crucial for the movement. Earlier, they were not active and were trapped in a kind of consumerism and were passive because of the influence of those in power,” Prof Manjit added. SYL issue rejected The emotive issue of SYL did not work, especially when the incumbent BJP in Haryana tried to create a divide by raking it up. Haryana BJP functionaries even started an ‘upvaas’ (fast) demanding SYL water from Punjab, but failed to gain any support. The people rejected the demand, terming it as “irrelevant” at the time. This despite the fact that SYL has been projected as the most contentious issue by politicians of both the state, even suggesting that it may trigger bloodshed over water. While Punjab-based political parties have been promising not to give a single drop of water to Haryana, their Haryana counterparts have been promising completion of canal and steady flow of water. Even nationally, this seemingly unending dispute, pending for more than four decades, and has been seen as a symbol of enmity between the two states. However, the cold reaction of the people deflated the issue.

The Times of India

2021-12-29

Chandigarh