Skip to main content

Struggle will continue, say farmer leaders: 'Victory rallies' in Maharashtra, Delhi

By Harsh Thakor* 
The Shetkari Kamgar Mahapanchayat (SKM), which took place recently in Mumbai's Azad Maidan, with at least 100 organisations coming under one umbrella, saw peasants, workers, agricultural labourers, women, youth and students of all religions and castes from all over Maharashtra culminating at the venue to celebrate the victory in terminating the farmers bills.. The rally took place ahead of the the winter session of Parliament in which the Centre moved the bill to repeal the three farm laws.
In addition to celebrating the “historic” victory, the speakers at the rally declared their determination to fight for the remaining demands.
These include a Central law to guarantee a just minimum support price (MSP) and procurement, withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill, removal from the Cabinet and arrest of Lakhimpur Kheri MP Ajay Mishra Teni for the tragedy in which several farmers and and a journalist were run over by a car allegedly belonging to his son, repeal of the four labour codes, end to “selling off” the country to corporates, halving the price of diesel, petrol, cooking gas and other essential commodities, doubling the days of work and wages under MNREGA and extending it to the urban areas.
SKM leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal and Hannan Mollah, addressed the gathering. Yogendra Yadav, Medha Patkar, Yudhvir Singh, Tajinder Singh Virk, Atul Kumar Anjaan, Rajaram Singh and others also spoke. Tikait accused the Central government of running away from a debate on MSP and other issues.
“Several issues related to farming and labour sectors need attention, and we will travel all over the country to highlight them,” he said. Speaking to the media, Tikait said the Central government should bring a law to guarantee MSP. “Otherwise, January 26 (Republic Day) is not far and 4 lakh tractors and farmers all are there.” He said, the ruling BJP had framed critics of the government as ‘Maoists’, ‘Islamists ’ or ‘Khalistanis'.
The Samyukta Shetkari Kamgar Morcha (SSKM) leader Ashok Dhawale said the Mahapanchayat also called for the defeat of the BJP in upcoming State assembly elections and the Statewide local body elections in Maharashtra.
Yogendra Yadav portrayed the harsh economic conditions prevailing and how the policies of the rulers reversed any progress, while Hannan Mollah referred to the instances when Sikhs joined anti-imperialist movements and how till today they breathed the spirit of secularism at the highest pitch.
Tajinder Singh Virk recounted how in Laxmipur Kher, the team of BJP cadre pounced on him and other farmers like a lion attacking it’s prey. He threw light not only on the barbarity of the incident, but how the rulers framed the farmers. Virk narrated how Union minister of state Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra was driving one of those vehicles -- and that he was targeted for leading the protest that day against the Minister’s remarks about farmers the previous week.
The Shaheed Kalash Yatra of the Lakhimpur Kheri martyrs, which began from Pune on October 27, traversed over 30 districts of Maharashtra in the last one month, reached Hutatma Chowk. It also commemorated the 106 martyrs of the Samyukta Maharashtra struggle in the 1950s. After this, the ashes of the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre martyrs were immersed in the Arabian Sea off the Gateway of India in a special programme at around 4 pm, just after the Mahapanchayat at Azad Maidan.
Being the death anniversary of social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, SKM paed rich homage to him. In all, around 50,000 persons attended the rally, with around 12,000 participants occupying the actual assembly place.

Delhi rally

The rally took place following the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) commemorating the annual anniversary of the Delhi Morcha at Pakaura Chowk, New Delhi, with a huge public rally, where also around 50,000 persons participated. The speakers at the rally said, after the announcement of repeal of farm laws they would continue their struggle for their remaining demands.
The rally started with a tribute to more than 700 martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the struggle. State committee of the organisation saluted the martyrs’ memorial temporarily established in the rally ground. Participants joined the tribute standing silently for two minutes as revolutionary poet Sant Ram Udasi’s anthem of martyrs ‘chadhan waleoo haqaan di bhet utteh’ (o people who sacrificed their lives for rights) was played from the stage.
Addressing the rally Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), said the “historic victory” of the farmershas been made possible not only by the unity of farmers and farm labourers from across the country but also global solidarity. He reminded that demands like procurement of agriculture produce of all crops at remunerative MSP and universal public distribution system (PDS) are still unfulfilled.
Sukhdev Singh Kokri, general Secretary of the organisation, stated that demand like procurement on MSP and PDS are unaddressed, even as as Indian state is committed to implement policies of the World Trade Organisation. The farm laws were part of these policies, so the real solution lies in India getting out WTO agreements.
Jhanda Singh Jethuke, senior vice president and Shingara Singh Mann said there was need to guard against complacency, warning, if farmers became less vigilant about opportunist political parties, the upcoming elections may prove to be an assault on their unity.
Harinder Kaur Bindu, leader of women’s wing of the organisation, said that women played leading and equal role in the protest against the farm laws, adding, this role would be expanded in the future struggles. She called upon women to take more responsibility in the struggles. I attach great significance to this in contemporary light of women being subordinated to oppression.
Lachman Singh Sevewala, general secretary of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, insisted, that farm workers have played an important role in the agitation and the unity among farmers and farm workers has become stronger. Among those who were present on the occasion included human rights human rights activists Gauhar Raza, Shabnam Hashmi, and Nandini Sunder, among others.
---
*Freelance journalist based in Mumbai, has toured India, particularly Punjab, has been writing on mass movements

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup*  I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.
Post a Comment
»

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra  International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars. 
Post a Comment
»

Dhurandhar: The Revenge — Blurring the line between fiction and political narrative

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan*  "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" does not wait to be remembered; it arrives almost on the heels of its predecessor, released on March 19, 2026, just months after the first film’s December 2025 debut. The speed of its arrival feels less like creative urgency and more like calculated timing—cinema responding not to storytelling rhythm but to the emotional climate of its audience. Director Aditya Dhar, along with actor Yami Gautam, appears acutely aware of this moment and how to harness it.
Post a Comment
»

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan   In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.
Post a Comment
»

BJP accounts for 99% of political donations in Gujarat: Corporate giants dominate

By Jag Jivan   An analysis of the official data on donations received by national parties from Gujarat during the Financial Year 2024-25 reveals a staggering concentration of funding, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for nearly the entirety of the contributions. The data, compiled in a document titled "National Parties donations received from Gujarat during FY-2024-25," lists thousands of transactions, painting a detailed picture of the financial backing for political parties from one of India’s most industrially significant states.
1 comment
»

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan  A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.
1 comment
»

Captains extraordinaire: Ranking cricket’s most influential skippers

By Harsh Thakor*  Ranking the greatest cricket captains is a subjective exercise, often sparking passionate debate among fans. The following list is not merely a tally of wins and losses; it is an assessment of leadership’s deeper impact. My criteria fuse a captain’s playing record with their tactical skill, placing the highest consideration on their ability to reshape a team’s fortunes and inspire those around them. A captain who inherited a dominant empire is judged differently from one who resurrected a nation’s cricket from the doldrums. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the finest leaders the game has ever seen.
Post a Comment
»

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.
59 comments
»

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan  A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”
Post a Comment
»