During the second part of the farmers’ movement, after the Punjab government forcibly dispersed the dharna held by farmer leaders Dallewal and Pandher on the Khanauri and Shambhu borders for about 13 months, the opinion of the common people of Punjab seems to be divided.
Why did the Punjab government think of forcibly dispersing the farmers’ movement?
In the initial phase of the farmers’ movement, when the talk of repealing the 3 laws was going on, different leaders of the farmers’ unions succeeded in conveying this message to the common people of Punjab that if the 3 laws were not repealed, everything would go into the hands of a few people. In case of this, they would loot everyone as they wished. At that time, the farmers’ movement was strongly supported by the common shopkeepers, laborers and employed people of Punjab, Haryana and some parts of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, the Congress government of Punjab gave the agitating parties an opportunity to gather openly.
As a result, the farmers managed to reach the Delhi border despite the strictness of the BJP government of Haryana. After which, for about 1 year, the farmers remained sitting on different borders of Delhi under the leadership of 3-4 dozen farmers’ unions leaders from Punjab, Haryana and UP. During which, the farmers’ movement received large-scale support from the country and abroad. When a series of meetings were held with the Government of India, the government was seen to have agreed to the demand for repealing the 3 laws. After which, the farmers’ movement was ended without taking any written guarantee from the government on many issues.
Meanwhile, many farmer leaders fielded their representatives in the 2022 Punjab assembly elections. They failed to even save their deposits. During this movement, the events of January 26 and the absence of 30-32 unions from Punjab on one stage, in addition to the continuous tussle among the leaders after the movement, the number of unions increased further. All these events forced the common people of Punjab to think. Here is another thing to consider: the farmer organizations were seen opposing the corporate houses. Big farmers themselves were selling wheat crops in silos associated with them. Apart from this, after the resolutions against the laborers in the villages regarding the planting of paddy, the small farmers and laborers started moving away from the organizations.
Why did the farmers’ movement 2:0 start?
Last year, out of more than 3 dozen organizations in Punjab, organizations related to Pandher and Dallewal gave a call to march to Delhi with MSP and about 18 other demands. It was named Kisan Andolan 2:0, it is worth mentioning here that more than 3 dozen organizations were separating from this movement and were wandering. After which the leaders of big organizations were questioned by some people through social media.
During this one-year-long struggle, the Haryana government permanently closed the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. Meanwhile, assembly elections were held in Haryana during which the farmer organizations of Haryana campaigned among the people against the ruling BJP and some leaders contested the assembly elections on the lines of the leaders of Punjab. During which they could not even save their deposits. The BJP prepared a strategy to influence the remaining voters except the farmers, as a result of which it succeeded in gaining power once again.
Why did the Punjab government adopt the strategy of suppressing the Farmers’ movement 2:0 by force?
Traders and people associated with the transport business were continuously troubled due to the closure of Khanauri and Shambhu borders for a year. Meanwhile, the call for Punjab bandh or stopping trains given by the organizations after a few days started spreading wrong propaganda among the common people. After which the job seekers and the common people started avoiding the organizations. The farmer organizations in rural areas started losing ground due to their division and strategy of not walking together.
After the meeting between the Punjab government and the organizations before the call for Chandigarh bandh given by the United Kisan Morcha on March 5 ended inconclusively, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s message of taking strict action and the fact that the activists associated with the organizations did not march towards Chandigarh in large numbers except for a few people after the leaders were detained at night to thwart the Chandigarh bandh, the government was given the opportunity to take action.
After this incident, the government and the administration had understood that if the leaders are detained and internet services are shut down and action is taken against the farmers’ agitation at night, then the 1000-1500 farmers present on the Khanauri and Shambhu borders can be easily removed and cleared from both sides without any tension.
After this action of the Punjab government, political opponents and representatives of farmers’ organizations have opposed and condemned the action taken against the farmers’ agitation. If we talk about the traders, transporters, laborers and the common people of Punjab, then some people are seen raising their voices against this action of the government and some in favor.
Read More๐httphttps://snpnews.in/arrest-of-farmer-leaders/