THE peasantry in Rajasthan under the Kisan Sabha banner have won a significant victory after their resolute struggle lasting 13 days. Since September 1, lakhs of farmers gheraoed the different district headquarters on the call of Rajasthan Kisan Sabha for a Mahapadav (sit-in). For three days there was also rasta roko (road blockade) across the state bringing about 20 districts to a standstill. Only ambulances and essential services functioned. The peasant movement received unprecedented support from all sections of the society making it a truly people's movement. The insensitive BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje Scindia was forced to bow down and accept many of the demands of the peasantry after 13 days of struggle and talks with the Kisan Sabha leadership. The talks went on in four phases from 1:00 pm on September 12 and ended on September 14 at 1:00 am.
The BJP government was forced to agree to loan waiver of up to Rs 50,000 which is expected to benefit eight lakh farmers; assurance that state government will write to the centre seeking implementation of Swaminathan Commission Recommendations on MSP in a time-bound manner by working out modalities; purchase of groundnut, green gram (moong) and urad at MSP at all district headquarters within seven days; withdraw hike in electricity rates for drip irrigation; payment of SC/ST/OBC fellowship with arrears immediately; relaxation in restrictions in sale of cattle, protection of crops from stray cattle and wild animals; increase of pension to Rs 2000 per month agreed in principle; insurance claim for failure of canal irrigation and stopping harassment of traders and farmers by the police. After agreement on these issues and on a mechanism to implement decisions, AIKS president Amra Ram announced withdrawal of the Mahapadav and reopening of roads that were closed for the last three days. Kisans across the state celebrated the victory with slogans, songs and dances.
A brief overview of the 13-day kisan movement in one of the districts is given below:
The All India Kisan Sabha called for a meeting at Sikar’s Krishi Upaj Mandi on June 16, where they talked about the crisis faced by the farmers in Rajasthan. They discussed and planned their future course of action. After the meeting, a call for a “Kisan Curfew” was given a month later, on July 17 which was successfully observed from 8 am till noon by the farmers.
Campaigns across Sikar district and other districts in the state were held by the Kisan Sabha. Amra Ram, AIKS all India president and ex-MLA from the CPI(M) and Pema Ram, another popular leader of the AIKS covered the whole district of Sikar, with more than a thousand villages and about 343 panchayats. Some 40 gathering points called “Kisan chawkis”, were created to implement the curfew. During this curfew, AIKS leaders after talking to the farmers declared that the government will have 10 days to talk to them. If the government refuses to talk, the agitation would be intensified, and the further course of action would be declared on July 27.
The state committee of the Kisan Sabha met at Krishi Upaj Mandi to decide on the further course of action. They declared that on August 9, farmers across Rajasthan would court mass arrest at their local tehsil headquarters. After this decision, a massive campaign was carried out across the state for 13 days.
Farmers across the state voluntarily went for mass arrests on August 9. More than a thousand farmers in Sikar courted mass arrest. The leaders continued meeting the farmers to chalk out the future line of action.
Kisan Sabha’s state committee met again in Sikar on August 18 and decided to intensify the movement further. They gave a call for the Mahapadav (sit-in). They declared that from September 1, farmers would do a mahapadav at their district headquarters across the state.
Another set of campaigns started across the state. This campaign was organised by the village committees of the Kisan Sabha. Kisan Sabha members went to all villages and all houses. They collected money and wheat from people. They received generous help from all the villages. Local village leaders from other parties and other organisations also pitched in. “Har kooen se gehoon ka ek pipa mila” (literally - “we received a box of wheat from each well”).
Farmers riding their tractors started pouring into Sikar’s Krishi Upaj Mandi, along with food and other essential stuff, on September 1. They arranged for their stay under the tin shed at the mandi. Around 15,000 farmers peacefully marched towards the Collectorate office and gave their charter of demands – addressed to CM Vasundhra Raje – to the district collector. They returned to the krishi mandi and started camping there.
Amra Ram made an open appeal to all organisations and parties to come and stand in support of the farmers. This was not a partisan fight, he said.
On September 2, the farmers planned and executed a peaceful march to the Collector’s residence at 9 pm. They marched to “disrupt the peaceful slumber of the administration” (“Prashasan ki neend haram karne ke liye”). The police tried to disrupt the night vigil by directing ambulances and other vehicles through the rally, while there was a whole other route available. So peaceful was this vigil that within minutes following a call by their leader Amra Ram, thousands of farmers made space for the ambulance and vehicles to pass. They wanted to wake up the administration, not to disturb people. People of the city and local media were full of praises for the movement the next day.
Farmers held a kavi sammelan on September 3. They also decided to take out a shav yatra (funeral procession) of Vasundhara Raje the next day. For around two hours that night the farmers called up people in the villages for mobilisation.
On September 4, lakhs of farmers, including more than 10,000 women dressed in traditional red saris, took out a funeral procession of the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government. So huge was this rally that the people and the media said that they have never encountered such a remarkable, yet peaceful rally in their lives.
Businessmen, traders and other sections, moved by the movement, began to join in solidarity with the farmers. It was no more just a farmers’ agitation. It became a people’s movement. Other organisations, unions and mass fronts began to pitch in with financial aid. The union of the kiln brick makers joined with more than 500 tractors and trolleys. Businessmen and traders started arranging for the food of the farmers staying at the Krishi Upaj Mandi. (From then till now, the food is being arranged by different people and the filter water providers union has been providing free drinking water tankers.) They announced that they would shut down businesses the next day in solidarity with the farmers. Milk transportation unions came to the mandi and declared that they would stop providing milk to everyone from the day the farmers ask them to do so.
On Spetember 6, at night around 8:30, the farmers took out a peaceful and massive mashaal juloos (torchlight procession). The next day, on September 7, a bandh was successfully held. The plan was to shut down Sikar city, but the traders’ solidarity went beyond the city. “Gaon, kasbe, sab band the” (“towns, villages were all shut that day”). This was spontaneous, unplanned and without any campaign or intervention by the Kisan Sabha.
The city bus union did a march in solidarity, with hundreds of buses peacefully driving down the city. The ambulance union followed, and the auto rickshaw union came later on the same day. Both the unions as well as the tempo union gave similar assurance as the milk delivery unions – that they would shut down business the day the farmers order them to.
On September 8, Amra Ram declared in the aam sabha that they would give two more days to the government to respond. If not, from 11th onwards, they would shut down everything. While the men would march towards the Collectorate, the women in the villages would shut down all the roads to and from their villages.
On September 9, the Sikar DJ union, with more than 100 DJ trucks travelling through all the main roads of Sikar city, reached the krishi mandi. Songs with catchy music about the farmers protest rocked the city. The residents from the whole city, including women, were on their terrace, tapping their feet, with a mobile phone to record this unique sight.
By September 10, more than 50 organisations had by now come in support of the farmers. On the 10th day, some local politicians from other parties, seeing the success of the movement, were almost forced to show solidarity. They came to address the aam sabha.
Finally the farmers were asked to come to the Collectorate for talks the next day.
On September 11, as per their leaders’ call, women shut down roads across the district. Women carrying Jeli (a pitchfork--like farming tool) gathered to execute the bandh. Some 300 points of entry and exit were identified and nodal points were created. But like last time, the people took it upon themselves and created more than a thousand unplanned block points. Women and men peacefully shut down all the points to and from their towns and villages.
In the city, thousands of farmers left the mandi to reach the Collectorate, where they were invited for a talk. Very close to the mandi, the police had barricaded the roads.
The police was everywhere, Section 144 was imposed, and internet was shut down. The administration thought they were now ready, with the police force and water cannons in place.
But the farmers of Sikar decided to cause no disruption and shifted their temporary residences from inside the mandi to outside, just till the barricade. The number of farmers were large enough to cross the barricade and go into a confrontation. But the intent of this movement has not been that since the very beginning. The mass support it has gathered is because of the patience, restraint, and discipline that they have shown so far.
Since the administration wouldn’t talk to them, they have decided to continue the sit-in while the women have decided to continue the blockade. The farmers have been invited for talks at 5 pm on Tuesday, September 12. They were determined and full of energy: “Jab tak Sarkar karja maaf nahi karti, hum nahi uthenge” – “we won’t get up till the government gives a loan waiver”.
At the mandi, the air is that of resistance, determination and yet a celebration of the people. Farmers have started living on the roads along with sheds. Songs of protest, dances to the tunes of songs about the Kisan Sabha and the kisan movement, have all been intrinsic parts of the mahapadav.
AIKS Congratulates Rajasthan Kisans for Historic Struggle
THE All India Kisan Sabha, in a statement issued on September 9, has congratulated the peasantry in Rajasthan, who have launched a historic struggle since September 1. An indefinite Mahapadav (gherao) of district collectorates was started on September 1, which saw massive participation across the state. Lakhs of farmers and other sections of society marched on the streets in different districts. A mock funeral of the Vasundhara Raje led BJP government was held in which enthusiastic participation of farmers and large number of women was witnessed across the state. Earlier the peasant movement in the state had a victorious struggle against the exorbitant increase in electricity price hike forcing the BJP government to withdraw the decision. In this phase of struggle which has been continuing, all sections of the society including students, youth, women, adivasis, dalits, small traders have joined in an unprecedented show of solidarity.
The main demands of the present struggle are implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendation of fixing minimum support price at least 50 per cent above cost of production (C2+50 per cent) with assured procurement, loan waiver for all agricultural workers, poor and middle farmers, pension of Rs 5,000 per month for agricultural workers and farmers above the age of 60 years, employment for unemployed, effective crop insurance, protection of crops from stray cattle and wild animals, right to trade in cattle etc. Despite the massive protests, the insensitive BJP government has refused to address the genuine demands. In this light, it has been decided to further intensify the struggle. All government offices will be brought to standstill and farmers have been gathering with their tractors, carts and vehicles in district headquarters. The Rajasthan Kisan Sabha has decided to continue the struggle and not withdraw unless the anti-farmer BJP government relents and concrete assurances are won.
All India Kisan Sabha extends solidarity with the struggle and salutes the resolve of the farmers that they will not withdraw the struggle unless their demands are met.
