On every front or sphere Punjab continues to simmer spark of resistance or crystallisation of democratic forces at a boiling point .This gives the fulcrum to the historic farmer’s resistance on the Delhi border, providing the very fuel. Countless rallies and programmes are staged confronting the neo-fascist economic policies of Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party and the corporates it patronises. The organised movement is striking the ruling classes. in their very belly or backyard to confront the nefarious anti-people farm bills .Punjab is in perfect rhythm rising upto the tempo prevailing with struggles launched in every front. The lockdown enforced due to Corona Virus has put no brakes on the peoples upsurge but made them even more militant. The mass contingents of revolutionary streams are leaving no stone unturned in waving the flag of people’ striking power. Significant that the crusade has reached a crescendo coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Eighteen martyrs in Sewewala.The scene in Punjab is reminiscent of the continuous ebb and flow of river water, taking intensity to its highest pitch. The steps of the various organisation in different situations or junction remind you of the moves of the masterly moves of a chess player.
In the view of Surkh Leed editor Pavel Kussa the farmer’s movement has to achieve three objectives. The first is to combat the the Religious Communal trend which saps or negatively permeates all democratic struggles and divides the toiling people. The second is the nefarious pro-corporate policies which are a manifestation of imperialism blessing forces like Adani and Ambani to strangulate the masses at maximum intensity. The third is for the farmers movements all over India be it in Rajasthan, Haryana ,Madhya Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh and Punjab to emulate the Punjab model which is an illustration of correct practice. He felt although spirit of unity is firmly entrenched still there are frequent sparks of Sikh communal resurgence. He was supportive of the mahapanchayats staged as whatever their weaknesses they raised a powerful voice against the base of the agenda of the neo-fascist Bharatiya Janata Party and thus consolidated the overall direction of the agitation.
Rupinder Chaunda of Naujwan Bharat Sabha felt Sikh separatist trend still vitiated the United front and convenor Darshan Pal still soft-pedalled with such forces,
Comrade Arjun Prasad Singh praised the unity of forces but strongly felt imperialism was the main enemy, which was determining feudalism.
Although very supportive of the movement t informative and engrossing journal ‘Caravan’ unfortunately highlights the problem still as a ‘Sikh’ issue ,giving credibility to views of Sikh intellectuals ,who uphold Punjabi nationality. This thinking has to be refuted at the very root.
Personally I am not very optimistic of the contribution of the Maha panchayats outside Punjab as they do not in my view make a clear cut demarcation from ruling class politics or chalk out any concrete agenda confronting imperialism or feudalism.
Quoting revolutionary journal ‘Surkh Leeh’ in article ‘Sharpen the opposition to the empire of the farmer’s struggle.’
“It is an important achievement of the farmer s’ struggle fighting against agricultural laws that it targets indigenous corporates. Now not only the government is on the target of farmer s’ wrath but also the corporate families are also suffering from people’s anger.. Especially, the businesses of Ambani and Adani near the Modi government are in awe of the farmer’s struggle. Their surrounding actions have well exposed the corporate farmer enmity. Till now, the political representatives of these households, the states who are in power, were the top targets of the struggle of the people, but this struggle has taken a new leap in the struggle of people within the country against the people of the corporate world – People’s identity as enemies has become darker and darker. But the imperial forces that stand behind this entire resolution are not yet on the target of people’s awe. Although consciousness about their role is increased, it is limited to some layers of leadership. Generally they are still behind the scenes while the main forces that abide by these laws and instruct these enforcement are the same. Desi corporate families are their brokers. They have to exchange hands in their looting business and paint hands in looting. They have to see how looting suits them. These desi brokers become part of the same way. This is their history and this is their character since the time of the rule of the British Empire.”
STRUGGLES ON ALL FRONTS
The landless dalit agricultural labour have defied all obstacles to come into the pitch of their battles against upper castes and ruling classes. Credit must be given to the meticulous painstaking approach of the Zameen Prapt Sangharsh Commitee.
Preparatory meetings were held in Raidhana, Ghanuar, Amargarh, Badbari, Sarajpur and Haredi for the rally in Sangrur on April 8th. With most qualitative persuasion.
On April 7th , under the leadership of the Land Acquisition Struggle Committee or Zameen Prapt Sangah Commitee , thousands of dalit agricultural workers marched to the SSP office after protested before the DC office Sangrur and demanded to fulfill their rightful demands.
Informing the press on the occasion, Zonal President of the Land Acquisition Struggle Committee Mukesh Malaudh and Secretary Paramjit Kaur Longowal said that today the third part of the panchayat land should be issued a notification for the Dalits to take on a lease, Nazool land ownership rights, leaders during the struggle And the activists to cancel all false cases, distribute land above the ceiling act to the unemployed people, waive off loans from microfinance companies, give 5-5 marla plots to needy families, give rights to own houses coming in red line, under Manrega March to SSP office Sangrur after protesting in front of DC office Sangroor demanding the cancellation of black laws that ruin laborers and farmers including electricity bill 2020 Done with it. He said that every year during the bids of Panchayat land, Dalits are beaten up by police and civil administration in villages by rural Dhanad Chaudhary and false cases are registered by police. Addressing the protest on the occasion, Zonal Finance Secretary Bikkar Singh Hathoa and Gurwinder Singh Borhan said that on one hand, the central government is on the way to implement the laws of the destruction of labour farmers and its humanitarian agenda.
A 3 hours jam in Sangrur was launched by Dalit community demanding their share of land Ownership rights were raised for Nazul lands and red line interior houses.
Workers will now strive for loans from government societies instead of micro finance companies. Big action will take place in the first week of May.
The decision to resolve the problem of water drainage in village Jida of Bathinda district has been decided according to the joint consent of farm labourers and farmers, which is being implemented soon. The senior leadership of Punjab Khet mazdoor Union and Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan has been working hard for a long time to solve this problem and in the presence of leaders of both the organizations and local panchayat representatives have decided a joint solution.
By BKU Ekta Ugrahan Village Unit Himmatpura Moga
An important victory was won by the BKU(Ugrahan) The district administration gave a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to the family of Shaheed Jagdeep Singh Himmatpura.,a suicide victim.
Thousands of farmers jammed Delhi KMP highway for 24 hours.on 8th April. It was a fitting blow for any pundit who underestimated or wrote off the movement ,proving it sent a shiver dow the spines of the rulers.
To eliminate unnecessary conditions imposed by the central government on the procurement of wheat, the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahaan FCI’s Depot 2 was surrounded under the invitation of the Autonomous Kisan Morcha .
With the power of a knockout punch delivered by a boxer and organisation or planning of a civil engineer the Bharatiya Kisan Union)Ugrahan) delivered a striking blow to Food Corporation of India undertakings. On the invitation of the joint front to surround offices, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugraha) completed surroundings of 34 FCI offices of 15 districts. The General Secretary of the organization Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan gave information through a written press note that the gatherings of farmers, laborers and supportive people including hundreds / thousands of women and youths are being conducted against the Modi BJP government by the Akash Gunjau Nahare Center The continuous increasing agitation among farmers against the government has been expressed. Speakers addressing at different places among Shingara Singh Mann, Hardeep Singh Tallewal, Janak Singh Bhutal, Jagtar Singh Kalajhar, Chamkaur Singh Nainewal, Sukhjit Singh Kothaguru, Sunil Kumar Bhodipura, Saroj Kumari Dayalpura, Paramjit Kaurtho and Kuldeep Kaur Kusa districts / block level all leaders involved. The main state leaders of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union Zora Singh Nasrali and Laxman Singh Sevewala also addressed the organization, which has been participating in some places as brotherhood support. Officials on the spot were asked through demand letters submitted to the Union Grain Minister to withdraw the decision to submit land deposit for the purchase of wheat and the payment should be made to the crop cultivator only. Payment arrangement directly into bank account should be withdrawn at the current time. Procurement of all crops should be guaranteed on the fixed MSP. Full arrangement of crop-procurement budget for FCI. Unnecessary conditions such as reducing the amount of moisture in wheat and the amount of stained grains should be cancelled and other necessary arrangements on Bardana should be completed immediately to complete the procurement process in the least time. All three black agriculture laws, electricity bill 2020 and parali ordinance should be cancelled immediately. The public distribution system should be implemented for all the poor in the whole country. Spokespersons strongly condemned the stubborn behaviour of the right farmer s’ demands, accusing the central government of Adani Ambani and foreign empire companies of the derailment. Attack by BJP goons on farmer leader Rakesh Tiket in Rajasthan, police lathicharge on Haryana farmers and provocative actions by BJP leaders in Punjab, UP etc. were also condemned and strict punishments by arresting the accused immediately A demand was made to give. He announced that the country level march will fight till the final victory to meet the key demands of the current Kisan Morcha, including the cancellation of the three black agriculture laws, on all fronts including Delhi borders. Apart from farmers and farm labourers, market workers, villagers, munimas, aadhti, transporters etc. thanked everyone for their supportive participation in the protest. All were invited to attend the District Level Lambandi Conference and other next Ghol programs being held at Damdama Sahib Talwandi Sabo on the occasion of Baisakhi.(repot from Comrdae Sikhdev Singh Khokri)
Hundreds of farmers organised by Kirti Kisan Union sharpened the protest against the orders of linking wheat payment with land records.Farmers will not submit any land records to FCI for the purchase of wheat: United Farmers Morcha Patiala.
The student and youth community have unitedly confronted the ploy of the rulers to close educational institutions and exposed the New education policy at the very base .Positive that 9 different organisations united . Under the invitation of 9 student organizations of Punjab ,Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa) protested at at Munak, Sangrur, Nyal, (Sangrur) Ghuda, Rampura Phool (Bathinda), Jaito, (Faridkot) Lambi (Muktsar), Payal (Ludhiana), Bahadurpur (Mansa).
Naujwan Bharat Sabha and Student Unity Committee marched protested against the closure of educational institutions at University College Ghuda and copies of the new Education Policy 2020 brought by the Central Government to destroy education were burnt. On this occasion, the Basanti Drama team of Rang presented Nukad Drama Dharna.
Student Unity Committee, TPD College Rampura Phool, P. After Punjab Studenst Uinion (Shaheed Randhawa) and Youth Bharat Sabha protested against TPD College Rampura Phool against the closure of educational institutions and the new education policy brought by the Punjab government to destroy education and the central government 2020 Copies of the burnt.
Youth Bharat Sabha and Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugraha held a rally against the closure of educational institutions by the Punjab government in village Raike Kalan. Nukad Drama Drama Derna was presented by the Basanti Drama Team of Rang.
On the occasion of Baisakhi on 13 April, the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugraha invited to reach Talwandi Sabo in the district level conference.
On April 12th students and parents of village Singhwala under Lambi block protested against Government Senior Secondary School Singhwala and protest marched in the village. Students and parents demanded that this school be opened immediately. Because it’s been over a year already that this school is closed. Due to which children’s education has been damaged.
Wake up wake up, today we all need to fight together against imperial policies, if we don’t wake up now then these landlords, empires, capitalists will never let us unite again, will not let us fight for our rights, by posting on mobile phones War is not won but we need all the students, laborers, farmers, employees, shopkeepers and other small businessmen to come together on one platform to cancel these three black laws and save education from privatization and Punjabi We can make University Patiala as pubs again
Long live the unity of students, farmers and labourer.’
The meeting was held by the employees of various departments living in the quarters against the notice sent to evacuate the government quarters in the last days. The meeting was attended by Youth Bharat Sabha and Baba Balia Welfare Club Ghuda and it was decided to meet the principal and deputy commissioner Bathinda, the administrator of quarters in the coming days.
Hundreds of employees from Sangrur_ Patiala _ Barnala joined the Singhu Kisan Morcha under the leadership of Democratic Teachers Front and raised their voice in favor of Kisan Ghol. Till all the three agricultural laws are completely cancelled, the pledge was made to stand with the farmers and make the ghol strong.They shouted slogan “Long live farmer-laborer-employee unity . We will also cut the elephant, we will also take care of the Delhi Farmer’s Front .”
On April 9th commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Sewewala martyrs a most qualitative programme was held at the village level resurrecting the spirit of the martyrs in relevance to the issues faced today. Their sacrifice was linked with the struggle combating Hindutva fascism at the Centre and Sikh Separatist ideology in Punjab. Convenor of programme Laxman Singh Sewewala spoke to me how he narrated how religion was used as a a tool to divide the struggles of the masses and how the framers movement had to extricate its penetration at the very root. In his view the very need of the hour was a secular farmers movement and how Sikh separatist politics diffused or diverted the focus of class struggle.
The event was started by hoisting the flag in memory of martyrs by members of martyr families including Harinder Kaur Bindu, daughter of Shaheedi Meghraj Bhagtuana and leaders of different organizations except Buta Singh of Shaheed Memorial Committee. On this occasion the gathering was addressed by Lok Morcha Punjab State General Secretary Jagmel Singh, Advocate NK Jeet and State General Secretary of Punjab Khet Labour Union Laxman Singh Sevewala. He said that martyrs Meghraj Bhagtuana, Jagpal Selbrah, Gurjant Singh Dhillwan waged a death defying battle against communal and government terrorism during the black period of Punjab and formed anti-communal front to organise mass revolutionary resistance against Khalistani and state terror.On this occasion, Nayyam Jaito’s team presented the play ′′ Alexander Da Ghora ′′ written by Jaspal Mankhera and directed by Kirti Kirpal. This drama was able to convey the message of the collapse of big chiefs in front of the Modi government’s rule and rule policy. On this occasion, the students of Sevewala presented the choreography on the song ′′ I am Dharti Punjab Di In addition to the families of martyrs during the ceremony, the leader of the Indian Kisan Union Ekta Ugraha Mohan Singh Wada Bhaika, the leader of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Vichar Manch Suba Singh Ramayana, the leader of Palledar Union Kulvir Singh, Sikander Singh and Sadhu Singh Bhagatuana, the leader from the Youth Bharat Sabha Ashwani Ghuda PSU Shaheed Randhawa leader Ravinder Singh Sevewala, farm laborer leader Karamjit Singh Sevevala, Angrez Singh Mata and Roadways Union Azad leader Nachhatar Singh were also present. On this occasion, a resolution to open educational institutions was also passed condemning the decision of the Punjab government to close educational institutes under the guise of Corona.
At the time of writing I am most impressed that the Bhartiya Kisan Union(Ugrahan_) launched a conference in Talwandi Salem on Baisakhi day. What better proof of how the morale of the Punjab farmers is escalating day by day .able to create impact of an inferno. What is very healthy is the solidarity and integration of the youth with the farmers’ struggles.
It is very positive that middle sections like teachers, industrial workers and govt employees are penetrating the very heart of the movement.
Heartening that such hatred is revealed against the Modi led Bharaitya Janata party with the farmers understating how anti-people it’s economic policies are and how Hindutva ideology i s weapon to divide their struggles.StillI feel the political aspect of Proto-Fascism shaping in every sphere must be given greater importance.
Still a glaring weakness prevailing is the presence of the dalit agricultural labour in the mainstream of the agitation. Dalit agricultural labour organisations must not just trail after organisations of landed peasantry as support bastions .The aspect of caste oppression must be highlighted. more in context of the Hindutva neo-fascist trend.Neverthless the democratic forces are seriously redressing this obstacle.
Even if uniting with Gandhian sections, people should not become victims of redressing faith in Gandhian non –violence concept .Its strategy diffuse or nullifies the cutting edge of revolutionary democratic struggle. and gives a licence for the rulers to trample over the farmers.Gandhian ideology has no agenda in combating feudalism and imperialism, whatever the sincerity of it’s activists. We must learn this lesson from the experience of freedom struggle itself with the betrayal of genuine revolutionary resistance by the Gandhi led Congress.
I don’t have words to describe the extent of adulation the young have for Joginder Singh Ugrahan ,leader of BKU(Ugrahan) .,with children literally thronging around him, treating him as father figure. I also admire the consistency of Rajinder Singh Deed Singh Wale ,leader of Kirti Kisan Union in vociferously raising his bold voice against the rulers and Sikh separatist forces.
Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist.Toured India,particularly Punjab .Written on Mass movements ,,Massline,Maoism on blogs like Democracy and Class Struggle and frontierweekly .An avid cricket lover too who has posted writings on blogs like Pakpassion Indian Cricket Fans and Sulekha.com
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