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| Volume 54 Number 26, October 20, 2024 | ARCHIVE | HOME | JBCENTRE | SUBSCRIBE |
J Singh
Mahapanchayat in Uchana, September 14,
2024
In India, the farmers who have been fighting without letup for the recognition of their demands point out that they are not fooled by the Supreme Court of India constituting a committee to look into their grievances. These grievances are well known and have been investigated time and time again. It is yet another attempt by the ruling elite to divert, distract and attack the farmers.
Farmers across India celebrated the 117th birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh on September 27, holding rallies, demonstrations, seminars in villages, towns and district headquarters and called on the people of India to intensify their struggles for a life of dignity and justice. They pointed out that Bhagat Singh's words have proven prophetic when he said that our struggle against injustice will continue even if the British leave and they are replaced by brown faces, but continue the system of looting of farmers and workers. The farmers said these brown Sahibs in Delhi want to hand over our lands to Adani, Ambani, Birla, Tata and other corporates. Farmers denounced the former chief minister of Haryana who said that the protesting farmers are not real farmers, they are fake farmers. Farmers also warned the people to be vigilant, that the state of the corporates is trying to drown their struggles in blood by organising violence and attacks based on religion, language and caste.
Ever since the British enacted the land reforms of 1789, countless committees and reforms have been brought into being but their aim has always been to loot and plunder farmers. Farmers know this and they will not be fooled anymore. They know that the aim of the government is to steal their lands and give them to Adani, Ambani and other corporates. They are determined to carry on their struggles. Mahapanchayats (mass meetings), rallies at Shambhu, Khanauri, Sisauli, Sangrur and hundreds of other towns and district headquarters are taking place to strengthen the farmers' unity and organisations.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting in Madhya Pradesh for a minimum support price (MSP) for soyabean. The administration tried to stop them from gathering in the grain markets. Farmers pointed out that the grain markets are their places and no one can stop them from gathering there. Farmers pointed out that all the policies of the central government are to give our lands to corporates and lock their roti in their Tijories (safes) to starve people in order to maximise their profits no matter which party is in power in Delhi. They have decided that no leader of any political party is welcome on their stage.
In Malkangiri, Odisha, thousands of tribal people have been demonstrating since September 13 from more than 250 gram sabhas to protect their Jal, Jungle and Jameen (water, forest and land). They are demanding that under the Forest Rights Act, title to their lands be given to them. Since 2006 none of the governments have implemented the law.
Rail Roko, October 13, 2024
In Bihar, protests are ongoing against the government's land survey. People are protesting against the officials who are engaged in corrupt practices and arbitrarily making entries into the official record to drive them off their lands.
A massive protest took place in Patiala on September 22 demanding the release of Malvinder Singh Mali, a human rights activist and political commentator. Farmers, workers, students gathered and denounced the criminalisation of dissent by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab. The ruling elite use all political parties to carry out attacks on the rights of people so as to pursue its plunder and oppression. Friends of Bharatiya Kisan Union in the US in a statement said:
"The arrest of Mali represents yet another stark instance of the AAP government under Bhagwant Singh Mann trampling on human rights and criminalising dissent to silence its critics. The circumstances of his arrest - swift police action mere hours after the FIR was lodged, and the denial of an opportunity for Mali to present his side - constitute a grave injustice and an egregious violation of the Indian Constitution. Mali has long been an outspoken critic of the Punjab government's policies, and this arrest appears to be a direct attempt to stifle his voice."
Earlier in September, police in Haryana tried to stop farmers from holding a Mahapanchayat in Uchana by threatening the tent and sound system vendor and sealing the border with Punjab. But the farmers came in their hundreds of thousands breaking all the blocks and barricades set up by the government. To save India, they declared, farmers must save their lands that the ruling elite want to give to the corporates. A guaranteed MSP is a necessity to save India.
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana organised a Rail Roko - stoppage of railways - on October 13 to highlight their demands. The Rail Roko was completely successful. The Punjab government is trying to split the unity of farmers by trying to "negotiate" with one group of farmers while demonising others. Although the farmers have brought their rice to the markets, the government is not buying it. It wants to force them to sell to Adani at a cheaper price. Farmers pointed out that they have to take control of storage, distribution and marketing themselves and create mechanisms to do this, as the government and state are completely in the pocket of the corporates. They are devastating Punjab.
Uttarakhand Kisan Union held a Mahapanchayat in Haridwar for the payment of arrears in the amount of Rs 110 crore for the last two years by the sugar mills. They are planning to have a protest in Dehradun and, if their demands are not met, they will march to Delhi. For years, the sugar mills have made it a regular practice to buy sugar cane and not pay for it and the government is in cahoots with the sugar mill owners no matter which party is in power. The farmers said that these parties do not have Vichardhara (ideology) but Kursidhara (thirst to stay in power).
Farmers are owed more than Rs 220 crore by the sugar mill in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh.
This is equivalent to more than 20 million pounds sterling. They have been protesting to get their money for more than a month and have announced mass meetings on October 24 in Bijnor, October 26 in Bulandshehar and October 27 in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
Farmers sitting on the Shambhu and Khanauri border for the last 240 days have declared that their struggle will continue for their basic demands. They said that it makes no difference which party is in power, it is their struggle that has forced BJP and other parties to talk about MSP and other demands.
The Punjab government formed by the AAP has constituted a Punjab Development Commission headed by Seema Bansal of the Boston Consulting Group. It is mandated to frame all-round policies for Punjab. Highly paid "experts" are to be paid handsomely to develop mechanisms to plunder and loot farmers and toilers. Nothing good is going to come out of the further implementation of the vicious and destructive neo-liberal offensive launched by the Manmohan Singh government (2004-2014) which started the current hand-over of the land and other resources of Punjab to the corporates. People from different sectors are calling for disbanding the commission.
Andheri Raat Ka Ant Hai Tay
Kitane Zulam Kamay
(The darkest night is bound to end
No matter how dark or oppressive it is)