All roads lead to Chandigarh as farmers unite on anti-farm law stir's 5th anniv  

As thousands of farmers from across Punjab prepare to gather to mark the fifth anniversary of their historic anti-farm law stir against the Central Government here on Wednesday, they are not just going to exhibit their unity, but also serve a reminder to the Centre of the unfulfilled demands agreed upon by it in 2021 (when the struggle ended).

Five years on, farmers across the country, especially from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, have not just remained united, but also managed to build a narrative about the domination of corporates in policy making for farmers. The free distribution of seeds and help extended to flood-ravaged Punjab farmers by their brethren from other states is a perfect example of the strong unity among them.

Nothing has changed

Nothing has changed for the farmers...be it the land pooling policy, the Electricity Amendment Bill or the Seed Bill, the government intent behind these is clear -- they want to favour corporates.

-- Balbir Singh Rajewal, SKM leader

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Senior Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Balbir Singh Rajewal told The Tribune that nothing has changed for the farmers, who have been protesting against repeated attempts of corporates to take control of farming operations. “Be it the land pooling policy, the Electricity Amendment Bill or the Seed Bill -- the government intent behind these is clear… they want to favour corporates. Farmers have no option but to resist or face losing their lands and source of income,” he said.

During the stir, more than 700 farmers lost their lives. Post-struggle, a failed political foray of the farmer leaders marked a fall in their popularity. Over the years, farmers unions may not be as powerful as they were in 2020, with many of them having suffered vertical splits since then, and state governments successfully crushing their protests. However, the unions do continue to hold sway amongst the state’s peasantry. Though the unions in Punjab suffered a major setback after the top leadership of both SKM and SKM (Non-Political) were arrested, their fortunes revived when the Punjab Government brought in the now-withdrawn land pooling policy.

The farmers are now protesting against the Electricity Amendment Bill, which they fear will raise their cost of irrigation considerably, and the newly introduced Seed Bill, which they claim will lead to predatory pricing by corporates and surrender the seed sovereignty of the country. “These are proofs that the Centre wants to favour corporates and give them space in agriculture operations. Peasantry and farmers welfare is certainly not on their agenda,” said Rajinder Singh Deepsignwala, general secretary, Kirti Kisan Union.

Jhanda Singh Jethuke, vice-president, BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), said farmers would also remind the government about their unfulfilled promises on justice for Lakhimpur Kheri victims, legal guarantee for MSP on all crops and adequate relief for flood-hit farmers, besides trying to take control over Punjab’s universities, river waters and its capital city, Chandigarh.

Initially, the farmers' rally was proposed to be held in Sector 34 grounds, but the venue had to be shifted to Sector 43 Dussehra grounds due to an event on the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Meanwhile, SKM has sent a memorandum to the President, highlighting the non-fulfilment of the written assurances made to farmers by the Centre on December 9, 2021.