Arshdeep Arshi

Sarbajaya Bhattacharya

Editor

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“Koi
sarkar nahin changi aam lokan layi [no government is good for the people],”
says 70-year-old Gurmeet Kaur. She is sitting under a shed with a group of
women who have come to attend the Kisan-Mazdoor Mahapanchayat (farmers and
workers mega village assembly) in Jagraon from Bassian village, Ludhiana. 

“[Prime Minister] Modi had promised
jobs, but no promises were fulfilled. [So now] Ehna da koi hakk nahin sade ethe aa ke votaan mangan da [they do
not have the right to come here and ask for votes],” she says. Gurmeet Kaur is
associated with the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU Ekta) Dakaunda, and tells PARI
she had voted for Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In Jagraon’s new grain market, where
the Mahapanchayat was held on May 21, close to 50,000 people gathered from all
across the state under the banners of farm unions, trade unions, anganwadi workers’ unions and medical
practitioners’ unions are here to show their strength and mark their protest
against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). ‘BJP harao, Corporate bhajao, desh bachao [Defeat BJP. Chase away the
corporates. Save the country],’ said the banner on the stage.

“We will show black flags to Modi in
Punjab,” says Harinder Singh Lakhowal, president of the Lakhowal chapter of BKU
who is present at the Mahapanchayat.

Punjab goes to polls on June 1, 2024 and
Narendra Modi is all set to begin his campaign in the state where farmers have
been protesting the Centre’s apathy to their demands: guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) as per the
recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, a complete waiver of debts,
justice for those in the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre, a pension scheme for farmers
and labourers, and compensation for those martyred in the 2020-2021 protest. Read:
<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/protests-against-farm-laws-full-coverage/">PARI’s full
coverage of the farm protests</a>

Farmer leaders, before addressing
the crowd, paid tribute to the 750 farmers who lost their lives during the
protests of 2020-21. A special mention was made of the 21-year-old farmer
Shubhkaran Singh who died in February this year after he suffered from a fatal
head injury during clashes between the farmers and police in Dhabi Gujran in
Patiala during their peaceful march to Delhi. Also read: <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/if-we-are-not-safe-in-our-own-state-where-will-we-be/">‘If we are not
safe in our own state, where will we be?’</a>

A few months ago, in February 2024,
farmers were barred from entering Delhi where they were planning to raise their
unfulfilled demands – the
peaceful protestors were met with barricades, water cannons and tear gas
shells. 

Now,
they don’t want the BJP to campaign in their villages. 

Boota Singh, president of BKU
Shadipur, also expressed the same sentiment. “Why is Modi coming to Punjab
now?” he asks, “we will not let him campaign,” 

At the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, people
across Punjab have barred BJP leaders and candidates from entering and
campaigning in their villages.

Hans Raj Hans and Ravneet Bittu, BJP
candidates from Faridkot and Ludhiana respectively, were mentioned by name
during the speeches of farmer leaders in Jagraon. 

“Leaders ask for votes with folded
hands. Then these people say they will deal with us later. Who are they to deal
with us?” says Lakhowal during his speech. A video clip of Hans had gone viral
on social media in which he said that those opposing him would be dealt with
after the polling on June 1. The Election Commission of India has issued a
notice to Hans in connection with poll code violation based on a complaint made
by SKM.

Chetann Singh Chaudhary, 74, has
come from Sangatpura village in Ludhiana. “Earlier we used to vote for whomever
our parents and grandparents voted for,” he says. “Now things have changed. The
objective now is to oust Modi.”

He is a member of BKU Rajewal. His father, Babu
Singh, was a freedom fighter, he tells PARI, showing us the card issued by the
Government of Punjab. Babu Singh was a soldier in the Indian National Army
(INA). “They do not think about the good of the farmers,” Chetann says,
referring to the BJP.

As leaders continue their speeches,
slogans ring out all around the grain market. “Kisan mazdoor ekta zindabad [Long live farmers and workers’
unity!],’ they chant, and, “Narendra Modi go back!”

Around the site of the Kisan-Mazdoor
Mahapanchayat, langars (free food stalls)
have been set up by units of farmers’ unions from nearby villages. There are
also medical camps being run by the Medical Practitioners Union, which
supported farmers at the Tikri border for 13 months during the 2020-21
protests. Members of Inqlabi Kendar and Jamhoori Adhikar Sabha, Punjab are
distributing pamphlets on the elections and issues concerning the general
public such as education, employment, health and religion, caste and gender
among others.

While the SKM is asking people to
defeat the BJP, it is not giving a call to vote for any specific party.
Rajinder Deepsinghwala, a leader of the Kirti Kisan Union says, “vote for the
person who can defeat the BJP candidate.”

As the Mahapanchayat ends, the message is clear
– oppose BJP during campaigns, defeat BJP in elections. “No one will resort to
violence, we will protest peacefully,” Lakhowal says while announcing the
decision.

‘They [BJP] do not have the right…’

’بی جے پی کو ووٹ مانگنے کا کوئی حق نہیں…‘

‘அவர்களுக்கு [பாஜக] உரிமை கிடையாது…’

'ସେମାନଙ୍କର (ବିଜେପିର) ସେ ଅଧିକାର ନାହିଁ...'

‘त्‍यांना अधिकारच नाही…’

‘അവര്‍ക്ക് [ബി.ജെ.പി.] അവകാശമില്ല…’

́ಅವರಿಗೆ [ಬಿಜೆಪಿಗೆ] ಹಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ...́

'भाजपा को वोट मांगने का कोई हक़ नहीं...'

‘તેમને [ભાજપને] આવું કરવાનો કોઈ હક જ નથી!’

‘वोला [बीजेपी] हक नइ ये...’

‘ओ लोगन (भाजपा) के अधिकार नईखे...’

‘ওদের [বিজেপি] কোনও হক নেই...’

‘ভোট বিচাৰি যোৱাৰ অধিকাৰ নাই...’

‘ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ [ਭਾਜਪਾ] ਨੂੰ ਕੋਈ ਹੱਕ ਨਹੀਂ...’

Jagraon, Jagraon Tahsil, Ludhiana District, Punjab, 142026, India

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‘They [BJP] do not have the right…’

Across Punjab, people are saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has no right to ask for votes in the General Elections 2024 after their treatment of farmers and workers. This was the message at the Kisan-Mazdoor Mahapanchayat held in Ludhiana this week

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