People's Democracy

RAJASTHAN

Peasants Face Barbaric Lathicharge In Gharsana

N K Shukla

THE peasants of Rajasthan were asking for water for their crops and the police of the BJP state government, led by Vasundhara Raje Scindia, was raining lathis upon them, lobbying tear gas shells upon them, and resorting to firings. Women and the aged were not spared either. More than two dozen persons were seriously injured and these included Durga Swami, a leader of the Janwadi Mahila Samiti. Some of the injured were later dragged out of their houses and beaten up again before being hurled into the police lock-up. More than 200 were arrested and curfew was imposed in Gharsana. Army was asked to stage a flag march. 

The government headed by an arrogant lady, still intoxicated with the bygone power of a princely feudal family, did not pay any attention to the peasants’ eminently genuine demands. At the time of going to press we receive the news of arrest of CPI(M) Rajasthan state secretary Professor Vasudev and Kisan Sabha state president and CPI(M) MLA, Amra Ram. Neither the earlier arrested leaders were released nor any initiative was taken to resolve the issue of irrigation water for the peasants’ crops. A protest demonstration was held in Jaipur by the CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML) parties and various other organisations against this brutal repression on October 18. This culminated into a protest meeting and later a delegation of leaders met the state governor and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate release of arrested leaders and activists, lifting of curfew in Gharsana and Rawla, and releasing water to farmers as promised earlier.

One notes that peasants of Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Bikaner districts of western Rajasthan are fighting for their share in the water from the Indira Gandhi Canal Project. In fact, there was a written agreement between the peasantry and the state government at Ajmer on December 11, 2004, and the peasants are only demanding its implementation, for which they are holding a padav (camping-squatting) since October 10 this year. Though Hetram Beniwal, Sadiram Punia and some other leaders and activists of the Peasants, Workers, and Traders Struggle Committee were arrested on October 8 itself, this did not deter the peasants from holding an action. People of more than 1,000 villages jammed the traffic in the recent past and more than 10,000 peasants have been staging a peaceful padav since October 10. 

As per the programme already announced several days in advance, peasants were to take out a procession on October 16, from the padav site to the SDM office. Before the procession started, there was a mass meeting at the padav site, which was attended by more than 15,000 people. Women formed a sizeable chunk of the audience. Rajasthan Kisan Sabha president Amra Ram, CPI(M) state secretary Vasudev Sharma, JMS leader Durga Swami, former minister Hiralal Kandaura, Anupgarh pradhan Pawan Duggal and Struggle Committee chairman Sant Lekha Singh, among others, addressed the meeting. A day before this meeting, AIKS joint secretary Nand Kishore Shukla and Haryana Kisan Sabha secretary Harpal Singh had addressed another meeting, asking the state government to immediately concede peasants’ demands for power and irrigation water, and release the arrested leaders and activists. 

But as soon as the procession started from the padav site on October 16, the police opened lathicharge, followed by tear gas shells and firing. This barbarity of the police continued till it was dark all over. 

One must note that exactly when these policemen were raining lathis upon the peasants, the chief minister was canvassing for a brand of sarees upon a ramp in a fashion show in Bangalore. Even though Rajasthan has a woman as chief minister, another as governor, yet another as assembly speaker and even though Ganganagar district has a woman as police superintendent, women were brutally beaten up on the day and maltreated. 

But the struggle continues despite this barbarity, and is going to continue. These desert areas are after all almost solely dependent on canal water for drinking, household chores and irrigation. 

On October 17 and 18, peasants staged angry demonstrations in capital Jaipur, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Rawatsar, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Dungarpur and many other places in the state. 

On October 19, a delegation consisting of CPI(M) MPs Prasant Chatterji and Tapen Sen (secretary, CITU), AIAWU joint secretary Suneet Chopra and AIKS joint secretary N K Shukla visited Gharsana, Ganganagar and some other areas to assess the situation, get acquainted with the peasants’ issues and take up their demands with the state government. The report is awaited. (INN)