Farmers Persevere Mahapanchayat Revolution In Punjab

19
Feb

Farmers Persevere Mahapanchayat Revolution In Punjab

The farmer protests, which is not necessarily a topic to be defined by now as it has gathered immense attention from last year sees no stopping pebble.

The farmers showing utter solidarity has begun the “mahapanchayat revolution” expressing their agitation over the farm laws.

On 29th January, a farmers group gathered at the Muzzafarnagar’s GIC ground after BKU president Naresh Tikait called for the first ever kisan mahapanchayat. The connecting ground roads and the traffic was left in disdain after villagers supporting the farmers concocted their way to the ground. After the Ghazipur incident when Rakesh Tikait flooded with emotions and demanded farm rights, BKU President and Rakesh’s elder brother called in for a revolution defined to seek villagers and local support for the ongoing farmer protests.

The beginning of the mahapanchayat revolution was called by the Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait when he called a mahapanchayat in Haryana’s Bhiwani district on 7th February addressing farmer’s solidarity. Rakesh along with his son Gaurav Tikait then called another mahapanchayat of around 10,000 villagers in Nuh, and this seems to be the start of this revolution. After successful people gathering and extended support to the farmers, Tikait found a way to escalate his will for gathering more support for the protests.

After these two mahapanchayats in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, a group of around 32 farm unions and around one lakh people attended the gathering in Punjab’s Mahapanchayat. The mahapanchayat held in Jagraon in the Ludhiana district seems to be the largest mahapanchayat held till now by the Indian farmers protesting against the newly passed farm laws. The gathering includes participation of farmers and labourers from Ludhiana, Moga and Barnala areas; arhtiyas, truckers, trade union members and residents are also expected to participate in the gathering. Farm leaders including Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Kulwant Singh Sandhu, Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan will be the leading faces of the Punjab’s first ever mahapanchayat.

The Social Media Reactions

After international celeb’s like Rihanna, Mia, Amanda, Trevo Noah and others took the topic of farmers interest to their own guidebooks, the farmer protests have gained enough limelight to be the nation’s talk.

While the Indians have been standing for the farmers, they are supporting the #mahapanchayatrevolution

The Revolution’s Significance

The mahapanchayat have gained the centre stage in the farmers agitation as it is inviting more people to join the farmer’s revolution. The mahapanchayat ensures equal participation from divided sections of the society thus making the farmer protests a notereity of farmer and societal unity. Equating the oppositions’ say and marking the political presence of the farmer protests in the ongoing politics, the mahapanchayats arose to be the talking tool for the common people having a say with the farmers.

“Sometimes some issues touch the heart of people very fast even if they don’t have any logic. People take it as an inner call to participate in it. The leaders of the agitation have projected an image in which even those people who are not associated with farming, feel that the farmers are facing injustice and we should stand by them. In this scenario, a large number of people who are not even associated with farming have become part of this agitation. Everybody feels they are fighting for justice. This is a normal human tendency where people want to be a part of a large and moral grouping. All of sudden, the panchayats seem to be something which are fighting for a just cause. Just 4-5 years back, many people used to criticise khap panchayats alleging they are spreading casteism. For a just cause, people remain ready to sacrifice time and money or face police lathicharge, if needed” a political expert commented.

With the mahapanchayats being called, the farmers serenely invite people to join their fight. People’s participation in the mahapanchayats claim its relevance and strengthens the voice gaining more attention from the Central government which still looks adamant in not accepting the revocation of the farm laws. Where the government is stalling the farm laws implementation for eighteen months, the farmers believe it to be a honey-trap, the farmers still demand fixed MSP and law revocation.

The farmers, participating in the mahapanchayats denominates farmer protests are no longer a fight of the farmers but the whole India. “Not only most of the states but the entire global community is watching the farmers’ stir keenly and repressive action of the Modi government against peacefully protesting farmers is also being debated across the world. The government is out to disband the best and proven marketing system in the world by allowing free trade of food grain so as to leave the farmers at the mercy of big business tycoons and a failed model of marketing is being thrust upon the farming community”, said BKU’s member Rajewal Balbir Singh.

The mahapanchayat revolution, according to the farmers, have challenged the Central government and will be the leading grounds for removing the state-ruling BJP in Punjab and other states. Where the Siromani Akali Dal and AAP disagree with the Centre’s take of the farm protests, it manifests that the opposition besides the farmers is using it for the political ticket.

February 19, 2021

558

HIGHLIGHTS

Popular Tags

CheckBrand is the only platform to track your digital ranking, digital presence, and social media presence along with detailed analytics reports by which you can measure all the parameters of a digital domain.

19
Feb