People's Democracy

  Rajasthan Farmers Brave Repression & Hold Maha Panchayat

Yechury Lambasts Vasundhara Raje Govt

A Report from Sriganganar

THE Rajasthan police had resorted to all sorts of repressive methods to see that the kisan maha panchayat fails but they were all foiled by the kisans of this border area. The police had virtually built up a fortress in Gharsana, the nerve centre of the militant movement being waged by the farmers. The administration had put all its might to see that the meeting does not take place at any cost in Gharsana on August 1. Only couple of days back they resorted to early morning combing in 22 DD village near Gharasana which is the citadel of the movement. False cases were foisted and many villagers, including women, were arrested. Leading cadres of the movement – not only peasants leaders but also traders and students leaders supporting the movement – were taken into custody. Just a day before the meeting, the police raided the houses of lawyers who are fighting the cases of the agitators. Does this not remind us of similar incidents recently wherein the lawyers helping the fighting people were arrested and harassed? Yes it was in Gurgaon. And the administration had a wish to repeat Gurgaon in Gharsana. Otherwise, why would the district superintendent of police is alleged to have said that they are prepared to turn Gharsana into another Gurgaon.

But despite prohibitory orders in Gharsana and the neighbouring areas, and large-scale restrictions on vehicular movement, around 25,000 farmers turned up at the call of Kisan Mazdoor Vyapari Sangharsh Samiti, the body spearheading the movement. Many of them had to trek for miles taking a longer route through fields and kaccha roads as Gharsana was sealed. The town was situated only few miles away from the venue of the meeting in 6 DD village. Incidentally the changed venue was decided on the night of July 31. Throughout the night, the activists went from village to village, of course avoiding police eye, to inform the people about the changed venue. Because of the tension built up by the administration, most of the shops in Gharsana town and nearby villages remained closed.

Addressing the maha panchyat which went for five hours, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury saluted the assemblage for making this meeting such a success braving repression of the police and said this shows that they will be winners of the struggle ultimately. He told the gathering that the chief minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje was pestering for days together for having a discussion with the CPI(M)leadership in Delhi. She sent two of her ministers to Delhi to talk to them. “We told them to talk directly to the agitating farmers.” He said it was also clearly told to them that they should first release Hetram Baniwal and other leaders of the agitation, take action against those police officials who have been responsible for such an attack on the peasants struggle, withdraw the cases and then talk to the leaders of the agitation. He said that it is the Rajasthan government which is responsible for this entire situation. The problem was not with the water availability but with the management, he said.

Yechury said that the peasants demand is genuine as they were demanding the implementation of the agreement which promised a share of irrigation water. He lambasted the state government for its inefficiency which created such a situation today. Questioning the state government argument that if water is given as per the agreement made with farmers in December last year, the Phase II areas would go dry, Yechury said if this was true then why did the government sign the agreement in the first place. He said that he had been told that because of the mismanagement of the water by the state government, large quantity of water is flowing to Pakistan unutilised. Referring to insinuations that there is actually no issue and it is only the communists who are creating problem here, Yechury said if that was the case why would so many farmers participate in the agitation. Reiterating that communists will always be with those fighting against injustice, he warned the Vasundhara Raje government against trying to crush this movement by force. “Last year’s agitation enthused the peasants and kisans all over the country. If it is needed the peasants and democratic minded people of other parts of the country will not lag behind to support you in your fight”, he said. Yechury said that CPI(M) would raise this issue both inside and outside parliament and will also see to it that the central government talks to the state government on the water issue between Punjab and Rajasthan to sort it out..

Vasudev, state secretary of the CPI(M), in his speech condemned the repression unleashed by the government and said that kisans will not take this lying down. He said that there seems to be conspiracy to kill Hetram Baniwal the way he was beaten, arrested and then not given treatment for four hours. But the administration does not know the might of the kisans and the agitation is gradually spreading all over the state. He listed the five like-minded parties, namely CPI(M), CPI, Janata Dal (Secular), Samajwadi Party and NCP had come together to organise massive struggle against hike in power tariff which has hit the kisans very badly.

The maha panchayat was also attended by former Rajasthan chief minister Jagannath Pahadia, former Congress MP Hari Singh, Chandrasekhar Vaid chief spokesperson of Pradesh Congress committee and others. The state president of All India Kisan Sabha, Sheopath Singh announced the agitation progamme of the farmers during the next fortnight which include rallies in Kajuwala in Bikaner on August 2, followed by another in Haunmangarh on August 8 and at Sriganganager on August 13.

On the same day i.e. on August 1, a massive maha-padav  was organised in front of district collectorate in Naguur district. According to reports, peasants from all the tehsils in Nagaur participated in the programme. The main speaker was Amraram MLA and vice president of state AIKS unit. He announced that the agitation will continue till the demands of the peasants are met.

As already mentioned, the houses of two leading lawyers of Sriganganar district Nawrang Choudhury and Charandas were raided on July 31. Nawrang Choudhury, a former president of the district bar council is also a CPI(M) leader. Their houses were raided because they were fighting cases foisted on agitating kisans and their leaders. Large number of lawyers protested and raised slogan in the office of district superintendent of police and also met district collector (administration) Harlal Saran and handover him a memorandum condemning this action.