Rajasthan Peasants Score Historic Win

Dulichand

A section of farmers at mahapadav in Jaipur

THE Vasundhara Raje government has finally succumbed to the indomitable resolve of Rajasthan peasantry. On September 8, eighth day of their mahapadav (grand camping programme) under the banner of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the more than one lakh peasants from 15 districts forced the BJP regime to concede their eminently justified demands. The mahapadav had started on September 1, at the state capital Jaipur.

The peasants’ victory came in the form of an agreement after the day long, hectic negotiations between the state government and AIKS leaders on September 8. Sheopat Singh, Amraram, Dulichand, Girdhari Singh Fenin. Narayan Doodi and Phoolchand Barber took part in the negotiations from the AIKS side.

The historic win came because the peasants remained undaunted even after several episodes of lathicharge, firing, arrests and other barbarities, perpetrated by the government machinery in the recent past.

CONTOURS OF THE AGREEMENT

Below are given some details of the agreement arrived at between the government and AIKS representatives.

1. The increased power tariffs for the peasants have been put in abeyance. Power will be paid by older rates, with no penalty or interest over unpaid bills. The state government has constituted a high-power committee, with two AIKS nominees, to review the hike for all consumers, and the committee’s decision will be binding. The blatantly elitist chief minister had to concede that the peasants are in a sad plight and unable to pay the hiked rates. She had to assure all help to the peasantry. 

2.  The second demand was regarding power supply. The government’s failure to ensure regular supply has caused a loss of crops worth crores of rupees. The government had to assure that the remaining crops won’t be allowed to wither away for want of power. In view of the drought conditions, there will be regular, full voltage power supply for 8 hours during the rabi season.

3.  Agricultural connections of all categories will be changed to general category. These number 65,000 out of a total 7 lakh connections. Pole and transformer charges were already collected from the peasants who were also compelled to pay twice or thrice than the general category. Now, the conversion of all agricultural connections to the general category will benefit the peasants to the extent of crores of rupees.

4.  About 48,000 peasants have not yet got connection, even after 8 or 9 months of having deposited the security. The government assured that they would be given connections immediately.

5.  Power corporation officials were taxing extra money from peasants in the name of power theft whenever there was an increase in load. Now, an increase in load will not be treated as theft, and the charge for increased load will be Rs 630 per horse power. This means a benefit of crores of rupees for the peasants. Further, they will not be harassed in the name of power theft. Arbitration committees will discuss the reports of vigilance checking.

6.  Load will not be decided on area basis. The corporation will not charge for any load in excess over a peasant’s connection. All such decisions will be null and void. The peasant can increase or decrease load according to the conditions or his needs, and the corporation will not obstruct it. 

7.  No minimum charge from the peasants. The already collected minimum charges will be adjusted in the bills.

8.  No penalty or interest will be charged from the peasants who got a capacitor at the time of getting connections. Any money already collected on this count will be adjusted.

9. The village panchayat area condition for connection shifting will be removed. The process of connection shifting will be simplified.

10. Help will be extended to the peasants who have suffered crop losses because of drought or shortage of power.

11.  Hetram Beniwal and other kisan leaders, arrested in Rawala Ghadsana, will be released; the Ajmer agreement of December 11, 2004 will be implemented; and the government will hold talks with representatives of the Kisan Mazdoor Vyapari Sangharsh Samiti to remove the difficulties in implementation.

STRUGGLE ALL OVER THE STATE

After the announcement that the state government has conceded all these demands, there was an atmosphere of celebration at the mahapadav venue and, soon after, in the entire state. There were slogans on “Long Live Peasant Unity!” and “Long Live Kisan Sabha!” all over.

This was natural. The struggle was being fought not only at the mahapadav venue in Jaipur but on a broader scale, and crores of peasants, workers, students, youth and women all over the state were eager to know the fate of the negotiations.

The AIKS had called for a march to the chief minister’s bungalow on September 8, and also called upon women to jam all the roads all over the state. The result was that there was a jam on hundreds of roads all over Rajasthan at as early as 8 a m on the day, and women were in the lead everywhere. Women thus made a powerful contribution to the success of the struggle. (See box.)

The agitation will be remembered for one more thing. Rising above their political, caste and religious affiliations, rural people came to the streets and joined the “Rasta Roko” en masse. Many roads in Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Nagore districts were found completely deserted, as the agitation for water and power took the shape of a mass movement all over the state. The result was that the BJP government --- whose firing killed peasants in Ghadsana and Sohela, whose lathicharges injured thousands of peasants, youth and students at scores of places, and which threw about 600 agitators behind the bars --- found itself completely paralysed.

The reason was that the AIKS gave a correct slogan, ably led the peasant struggle and also raised the justified demands of other sections of the people of all parts of the state. This has not only further strengthened the toiling people’s unity, but also gave the message that struggle is a must to wrest rights from an anti-people regime.

HISTORY OF STRUGGLE

The AIKS has led many struggles for power, water and land in the state in the past. In 1969-70, 15 peasants courted martyrdom in Shriganganagar district and over 20,000 courted arrest all over Rajasthan. This compelled the Sukhadia government to bow down and over one lakh families got lands in the first phase of Indira Gandhi Canal Project. In 1986, thousands of peasants courted arrest in Shekhawati area in protest against a power tariff hike. In 1997, led by the AIKS, peasants had organised a historic 6-day padav (camping) against the BJP’s Shekhawat government to demand adequate power supply in order to save their crops. In 2001, peasants encircled the state assembly and forced the Congress government of Ashok Gehlot to ensure 8-hour regular power supply.  

The Kisan Sabha has been waging struggles in tribal and other areas as well. All this has resulted in a heightened prestige of the organisation in the state.

In the recent past, during the agitation for water in the First Phase area of the Indira Gandhi Canal Project, Leftist leaders of peasants and workers braved the repression launched by the Vasundhara government of the BJP and in December 2004 forced it to come down from its high pedestal. This enthused the peasants all over the state and when the government went back on its assurances, the peasants had no hesitation to restart a Jail Bharo campaign against it.

THE RECENT STRUGGLE…..

It was in this background that a powerful and heroic agitation started against the backbreaking hike in power tariffs. In its two months long awareness campaign, the AIKS organised more than 50 mass meetings in rural areas, with thousands participating in each meeting. Dharnas and demonstrations were organised at several tehsil headquarters. The gherao of district headquarters of Sikar on July 28 and of Nagore on August 1 gave a momentum and militancy to the agitation. Some 20,000 peasants declared that they won’t pay the hiked rates.

In August, there was a mini drought and a spurt in the demand for power, but the government began a power cut spree instead of augmenting the supply. The prevailing supply of 2 or 3 hours a day could not save the crops, and peasants got inflamed against the BJP government. The movement now spread to Jaipur, Churu, Jhunjhunu and some other districts, some of whom did not even have a Kisan Sabha organisation. Local peasant bodies and conscious peasants invited the AIKS leaders to their villages and expressed intention to join the agitation. The AIKS call for a mahapadav sine die at Jaupur from September 1 onward galvanised the peasantry all over the state. Peasants formed village level committees to prepare for joining the mahapadav.

The fact that the BJP government had spared the big industrial units of the tariff hike while sending to the peasants power bills one and a half times the previous ones added insult to the peasants’ sense of injury.

From the mahapadav, the Kisan Sabha gave the call of “Save Agriculture and Save Peasantry to Save Rajasthan!” It demanded immediate rescinding of the power tariff hike and 12 hours’ regular power supply, among other things as listed above. It was now the call for a Do or Die struggle. The mahapadav became the symbol and an instrument of peasant unity in the state. 

…..AND THE FALLOUT

The militant but disciplined peasant rallies during the mahapadav impressed the urbanites too. The anti-hike struggle became a common cause of the urban and rural masses. No wonder the second such rally got the name of “Unity Rally” from the peasants and common urban mass. Then followed a flood of support from common urban people and their organisations. Before the food items brought by the participating peasants exhausted, for example, several quintals of atta and other materials had reached the mahapadav venue.

The historic and unprecedented event did not leave untouched the media persons either. The mahapadav dominated all the newspapers and other media. This huge and positive coverage also helped in augmenting the mass support for the struggle. Newer sections went on associating with it. Soon, 10 Congress MLAs too declared support for the mahapadav and there was a polarisation within that party in favour of or opposition to the struggle. Especially, the rural workers of the party came out in open support.

Differences within the BJP and its government sharpened on how to deal with the struggle. The RSS was advising stern methods, but the growing impact and fast spreading message of the mahapadav forced the government to rethink. The opinion that finally emerged was mainly in favour of a peaceful resolution. The insensitive, arrogant, adamant and killer BJP government had had to ultimately constitute a cabinet subcommittee for the purpose.

The peasants not only brought food items to the mahapadav; they also gave financial support to the Kisan Sabha. They were themselves in a dire strait because of the drought conditions but contributed over 2 lakh rupees to ensure that the fight continued. The West Bengal state committee of AIKS sent an interim help of Rs one lakh, which gave the struggle further strength. Various state units of the AIKS organised solidarity actions, thereby boosting the morale of Rajasthan peasantry. Jyoti Basu’s message for the latter electrified the whole environment. The Rajasthan state committee of the AIKS has expressed gratitude to all who gave it support in one way or another.

Currently, there is a debate in the media and among the intelligentsia as to what will be the impact of the recent mahapadav on state politics. Major newspapers in the state have written editorials about it, stating that a third force has made its presence felt in Rajasthan. Right now, the AIKS is engaged in giving its enhanced influence an organisational shape, for the sake of future struggles. Its cadres have begun to mobilise people for the “Rasta Roko, Rail Roko” programme announced for September 29 on a 13-point charter of demands.

(Dulichand is general secretary of the AIKS Rajasthan state unit.)