Skip to main content

Punjab farmers' rally asks people not to harbour illusions from political parties

By Harsh Thakor* 
On May 26th, tens of thousands people of Punjab converged at the Barnala grain market for what was called Lok Sangram rally. Around 24 organisations participated, encompassing peasants, agricultural labourers, industrial workers, students, government employees, unemployed teachers and women. People flooded in large numbers from across the state, with most of them coming from Barnala Sangrur, Patiala, Mansa, Bathinda and Ludhiana, which are nearby.
The principal organiser of the rally was the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ugrahan, claiming to be the state’s largest farmer union, while other organisations included the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Democratic Teachers Front, Punjab Students Union (Randhawa), Powercom and Transco Contract Employees Union, Water and Sanitation Contract Employees' Union, Forest Mazdoor Union and the Bhakra Beas Management Board Workers Union, Nangal.
The rally called on the people not to harbour any aspirations from political parties and relentlessly tread the path of struggle to achieve their goals. The conference affirmed that all major political parties be it the BJP, Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, or the Aam Aadmi Party, had  stooped to any depths to win power, and their agenda was akin and danced to the very tune of the ruling classes. The organisers did not propose anyone to vote for any political party.
The organisers published and projected a 30-point agenda, the main points of which are to abolish outsourcing in government offices, employment for all, revival of old pension scheme in place of the new one, scrapping the 2020 electricity amendment Bill, legal guarantees for minimum support prices, m withdrawal from the World Trade Organisation, scrapping of the 2020 national education policy, work throughout the year for agricultural labourers as well as construction workers and sweepers, eight hour work day for all categories of workers, abolition of contract labour system, and release of all political prisoners framed under false charges.
What demarcated the rally from others  was, it refrained from call for boycott or support any candidates. It resurrected the trend of similar conferences of the same organisations during the elections of 2012, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
The rally was in sharp contrast to Maoist organisations like Lok Sangram Manch which sought active boycott of elections  in regions like Sangrur, where it carried propaganda to this effect, or the Inquilabi Kendra, which called on people to press None of the Above (NOTA) button, or  CPI(ML) New Democracy and Zameen Prapt Sangharsh Commitee, which also pursued a similar line.
The Punjab state committee of the Communist party Re-Organisation Centre of India (Marxist-Leninist) published a 16 page pamphlet, distributed at the rally, where it summarised how fascism was a phenomenon of the ruling class politics, and it was eclectic to call for principally defeating BJP. It explained why today both tactics of participation and boycott were ineffective, and called for mass political campaign, which would enable people to rise up and organise.
A major theme of the conference was that it is not just the BJP but the very repressive or autocratic nature of the ruling class parliamentary machinery or politics that bred fascism. Speakers summarised that fascism was an overall attack of the ruling classes.
Speakers did not give a call for defeating BJP-RSS, or support INDIA, yet condemned the agenda and policies of the BJP, touching on its  diversionary issues like Ram Mandir. This was also in sharp  contrast with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha directly calling for the defeat of BJP.
BKU (Ugrahan) leader Jhanda Singh Jethuke in detail projected the nefarious games played by ruling class parties to divert people from their burning issues and the basic futility of the parliamentary democratic system. In his speech he illustrated how parliamentary institutions were organs of the ruling classes and not true democratic institutions and how the parliament serves democracy of the oppressor classes.
He called on the people to build parallel democratic institutions. He advocated abolition of corporate,foreign capital and equitable land distribution. In his view only through struggles could any progressive development road occur.
He revealed how fundamentally the electoral system only protected the exploiter classes and why it was imperative for the people to build their own struggles and organisations.
The rally was in sharp contrast to Maoist organisations like Lok Sangram Manch which sought active boycott of elections
BKU president Joginder Singh Ugrahan narrated how the ruling class parties negated the 30 point farmers' agenda and tricked the people that they were implementing that agenda. He told people not to repose any faith on any of the political parties.
Ugrahan summarised why parliamentary elections led people to diversionary path and parliamentary path crushed mass struggles. He explained how real issues had to be raised of the people.
In the view of Ugrahan, the BKU(Ugrahan) had become powerful and played a positive role only because it rejected parliamentary politics. This saved the organisation.  He said, parties like Congress and Aam Admi Party were in essence no different from BJP, and varied only in form. He gave concrete examples of national chauvinism of AAP and Congress.
A significant trend of the conference was the participation of trade union leaders representing the urban factory workers. They struck the point of the dictonomy with what the rulers promised and how in practice it varied by 360 degrees. Union leaders projected how workers were alienated as never before by the economic policies, which virtually shattered the backbone of any real rights. Aspect of worker-peasant unity was highlighted, which is vital to construct a mass revolutionary movement.
BKU (Ugrahan) women’s wing leader Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan explained how women were targeted by social fascism and how the social system subjected them to social bondage. 
“After every five years, people elect governments at the Centre and in states. But do these governments fulfil the demands of the masses? For that one has to struggle. So we always struggle,” she said. 
Teachers' leader Digvijay Pal Sharma said, “I got recruited in the education department in 2005 under the new pension scheme, and for years we have been struggling to get the old pension scheme reinstated. Four Lok Sabha and Assembly polls have taken place since then but our demand hasn’t been fulfilled. So what are we expecting from these leaders and the governments? Once in power, they are pro-corporate and never take decisions for a welfare state. The entire democratic set-up raises a question mark. For example, Arun Jaitley lost the 2014 Lok Sabha election in Amritsar but he was made a Union minister. Similar was the case with Smriti Irani. So what is the role of an election in this country?”
Lachhman Singh Sewewala, general secretary of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, said, “If we look at the present elections, in Punjab alone nine MLAs are contesting the polls. Five of them are AAP ministers, and the rest are also AAP MLAs. Three are Congress MLAs. If any of these win, there will be bypolls in Punjab. So who will bear the cost of this poll? Politicians organise elections as per their convenience and not after thinking about the budget involved in bypolls. In that scenario, struggles are the only way to get our demands fulfilled.”
An apparent weakness of the rally was sparse presence of the youth, with no representation by the youth organisation Naujwan Bharat Sabha. Also, there was  minimal participation from regions like Amritsar, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur. Then there was insufficient presence of Dalit agricultural labourers, so vital in building a mass movement.
---
*Freelance journalist

Comments

TRENDING

Beyond his riding skill, Karl Umrigar was admired for his radiance, sportsmanship, and affability

By Harsh Thakor*  Karl Umrigar's name remains etched in the annals of Indian horse racing, a testament to a talent tragically cut short. An accident on the racetrack at the tender age of nineteen robbed India of a rider on the cusp of greatness. Had he survived, there's little doubt he would have ascended to international stature, possibly becoming the greatest Indian jockey ever. Even 46 years after his death, his name shines brightly, reminiscent of an inextinguishable star. His cousin, Pesi Shroff, himself blossomed into one of the most celebrated jockeys in Indian horse racing.

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy  Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

PUCL files complaint with SC against Gujarat police, municipal authorities for 'unlawful' demolitions, custodial 'violence'

By A Representative   The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Justice of India, urging the Supreme Court to initiate suo-moto contempt proceedings against the police and municipal authorities in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The complaint alleges that these officials have engaged in unlawful demolitions and custodial violence, in direct violation of a Supreme Court order issued in November 2024.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das*  India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on. A soft attitude always creates strong relationships. A relationship should not depend only on spoken words. They should rely on understanding the unspoken feeling too. So w...

राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी: जल जीवन मिशन के लक्ष्य को पाने समन्वित प्रयास जरूरी

- राज कुमार सिन्हा*  जल संसाधन से जुड़ी स्थायी समिति ने वर्तमान लोकसभा सत्र में पेश रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि "नल से जल" मिशन में राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी साबित हुए हैं। जबकि देश के 11 राज्यों में शत-प्रतिशत ग्रामीणों को नल से जल आपूर्ति शुरू कर दी गई है। रिपोर्ट में समिति ने केंद्र सरकार को सिफारिश की है कि मिशन पुरा करने में राज्य सरकारों की समस्याओं पर गौर किया जाए। 

State Human Rights Commission directs authorities to uphold environmental rights in Vadodara's Vishwamitri River Project

By A Representative  The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) has ordered state and Vadodara municipal authorities to strictly comply with environmental and human rights safeguards during the Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project, stressing that the river’s degradation disproportionately affects marginalized communities and violates citizens’ rights to a healthy environment.  The Commission mandated an immediate halt to ecologically destructive practices, rehabilitation of affected communities, transparent adherence to National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, and public consultations with experts and residents.   The order follows the Concerned Citizens of Vadodara coalition—environmentalists, ecologists, and urban planners—submitting a detailed letter to authorities, amplifying calls for accountability. The group warned that current plans to “re-section” and “desilt” the river contradict the NGT’s 2021 Vishwamitri River Action Plan, which prioritizes floodpla...

CPM’s evaluation of BJP reflects its political character and its reluctance to take on battle against neo-fascism

By Harsh Thakor*  A controversial debate has emerged in the revolutionary camp regarding the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s categorization of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Many Communists criticize the CPM’s reluctance to label the BJP as a fascist party and India as a fascist state. Various factors must be considered to arrive at an accurate assessment. Understanding the original meaning and historical development of fascism is essential, as well as analyzing how it manifests in the present global and national context.

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

How polarization between different ideological trends within the communist movement sharpened in India

By Harsh Thakor*  This article is a rejoinder to A Note on Slogans of “Left Unity,” “Unity of the Communist Revolutionaries” and “Mass Line” by Umair Ahmed, published on the Nazariya blog .

Implications of deaths of Maoist leaders G. Renuka and Ankeshwarapu Sarayya in Chhattisgarh

By Harsh Thakor*  In the wake of recent security operations in southern Chhattisgarh, two senior Maoist leaders, G. Renuka and Ankeshwarapu Sarayya, were killed. These operations, which took place amidst a historically significant Maoist presence, resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals on March 20th and 16 more three days prior.