#KisanMuktiMarch: ‘We are farmers first, we have finally realised it’

What rang clear on the day of the big march is that the farmers are ready to put aside all their differences—political, ideological, regional—and come together for one cause. A cause they believe has been sidelined for too long now.

“We’re taking hope with us, and that comes from other farmers. Not the politicians. Yeh sab chor hain,” says Rajesh Verma, a farmer from Simaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Verma puts the blame on the political class and says they have managed to manipulate the farmers for 70 years. “Yeh mera Kisan, yeh uska kisan. Yeh neela jhanda kiska aur yeh lal jhanda kiska,” said Verma. 

Rajesh Verma from Simaur district, Himachal Pradesh.

Putting the spotlight on the struggle of the farmers on an everyday basis, Varma says during election campaigns, politicians address the issues of farmers particular to that time, which directly undermines the struggle of previous years. He believes the farmers have understood now that they’re farmers first, and now they will know who is the conducting a real discussion, and who is not. 

“Once they form the government, they forget about our issues and our problems. After the series of protests we’ve done, nobody will now neglect the farmers. They will be afraid of us. There’s a fear. But we still have to change our ways,” says Verma. Verma also talks about the changing air in the political sphere due to the farmers’ agitation. He says, “Kisanon ki narazgi BJP bhugtegi ab. BJP ab nahi rahegi (BJP will bear the annoyance of farmers now. BJP will no longer stay).”  

Verma says the fate of the Congress will be decided by the Madhya Pradesh elections. “They said they will waive the loans of farmers if voted to power. These are easy promises, but hard to be fulfilled.” 

Braving the cold night at Ramlila Maidan, the farmers woke up to a morning of confusion. In the early parts of the day, the farmers were denied permission by the police to march to Parliament House. Later, granted permission, the protestors marched forward from Ramlila Maidan with full zeal.

The farmers marching towards Parliament Street.

Shouting slogans, holding their placards and banners high, they marched to the Parliament Street, waving their flags, with heavy police deployment the entire time. The farmers assembled near the Parliament Street police station, where their leaders took the stage to address the crowd.

Soon after, prominent leaders from the Opposition came together to address the protestors, the moment most of the farmers were patiently waiting for. Congress supremo Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar and CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury were present, among others.

“If the government can give crores of loans to Ambani, then the debt of the farmers can be waived off too,” Rahul Gandhi said, much to the applause and cheering from the crowd. “Aapki shakti ne is desh ko banaya hai.” Stating that the farmers were not demanding any free gift from the government by asking for farm loan waivers, he said they were only demanding what’s due to them. Gandhi assured the farmers that he is with them and they don’t have to feel afraid.

Prominent leaders from the Opposite addressed the farmers.

Kejriwal took the stage after Gandhi. “Pradhan Mantri ne kisano ke peeth mey chhura bhonka hai,” he said. “Your Bima Yojana for farmers is a fraud. Thousands of crores are taken from farmers’ accounts, but when the crops are destroyed, conditions are cited. This is not a Bima Yojana, this is the BJP’s daka yojana (dacoit scheme).”

Kejriwal added, “The amount of attention you spare for Adani and Ambani, if you even use 10 per cent of that for the farmers, they would not have to protest anymore.” He also said that soldiers are dying at the borders and farmers are dying in the fields.

Amar Taram, who came for the protest from Rohtas, Bihar, believes that the current Opposition front does not look very strong and “we currently need to look for a strong Opposition party in order to stop the current government in the Centre from coming to power again. The day they are stronger, we will be with them.”

Taram says there’s a need for “issue-based politics”. “If they play some issue-based politics, then the farmers will gain from it. And the gain is the price we will get for our crops.”

Hakkam Singh from Punjab agrees with Taram. “The Congress has ruled the country for many years but the farmers haven’t benefited at all from them. We have no hope from them. We even don’t have faith in the current ruling party. We think a new party should come.”

Hakkam Singh from Punjab.

Another protestor, Mukhta Prasad from Pilibhit district, says, “Humein kisi party se ab matlab nahi hain. Bas hamara kaam kar do (We don’t have anything to do with any party now. Just get our work done). The party who will talk about our issues will get the vote, simple.” Prasad adds, “The BJP has forgotten about the promises they made during the 2014 general elections. But if they fulfil their promises before the upcoming general elections, then I will vote for them.”

Drawing a conclusion to the protest with the end of Kejriwal’s speech, the farmers were sure about one thing—they will not be duped by false promises anymore. While they still have hope that their grievances will be addressed, many of them scoffed and dismissed the high-end promises made by the leaders. “Bolne wala to karta nahi aur jo kaarta hain wo bolta nahi,” says Jangira from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, packing up to leave.