‘15 people from every village’: Farmers devise new formula to keep agitation going during crop season
Farmer unions have told farmers that only 15 people from a village are required at the protest sites so that the rest can go back home and tend to their crops during the harvest season.
The mood was relatively upbeat at the Ghazipur border protest site on Tuesday as farmers celebrated Basant Panchami, a festival that marks the begininning of the harvest season.
The change of season also means that the leaders of the ongoing farmers’ agitation now face a big challenge on managing a decent number of farmers at the protest sites as the most peasants are likely to leave for their native places to tend to their crops.
But, it looks like they have a plan.
As part of the new strategy, farmer unions have decided to keep 15 people from every village at a time, so that the rest can take care of their crops back home and also help spread the message of the agitation.
As per the plan, the farmers will come and go on a rotational basis, the length of the rotational period depending upon the distance between their village and the protest site.
Speaking to India Today TV at the Ghazipur border protest site, farm leader Gurmeet Singh said, “We have decided that at a time not more than 4,000-5,000 protesters are required at this place.”
But, he said, “The farmers are also aware that the government might try to remove us from the protest site, like it tried to do on January 28.”
“Thus, farmers have been told to remain prepared for any SOS call. In a matter of one hour, we will bring thousands of farmers from nearby areas. Similarly, we have the list of those farmers as well who can reach this site in three hours. According to an estimate, we can bring one lakh farmers at a notice of 24 hours,” Gurmeet Singh said.
HARVEST SEASON IS HERE
The annual harvest season is a matter of festivity, joy and prosperity for the farmers. However, this year, the farmers opposing new agri laws would have to choose between tending to their crops and staging protest against the government policies.
Western Uttar Pradesh and the Tarai region of Uttarakhand are known for their sugarcane crop, which is ready for harvest.
Many farmers at this protest site accept that it requires a lot of manpower to reap the sugarcane crop and then send it to the nearest sugar mills. The sugar mills will remain open for the crops till April-end only. Hence, farmers have no other option but to return to their villages and work in their fields.
Even wheat crop has grown considerably and requires irrigation and manuring so that it would be ready after almost two months.
The next three months are crucial for most farmers. But they also do not want to leave the protest site barren.
STRATEGY FOR LONG HAUL
Farmers said since they have prepared for a long haul, having a lesser crowd at the borders is also part of their new strategy to spread the agitation in other parts of the country through panchayats and mahapanchayats. So, they are not looking for an overcrowded protest site from now on.
Strategic meetings are taking place regularly, and in those meetings, a detailed plan for the harvest season is being made. Gaurav Tikait, who is the son of BKU president Naresh Tikait, told India Today TV, “Since the government is not listening to our demand, the protest at the Delhi borders will continue. But at the same time, we have conveyed to all farmers that only 15 people from a village would be required to camp at the Ghazipur protest site. Those 15 would be replaced by another set of 15 persons after a week’s time.”
India Today TV reached a tent just behind the stage where a strategy meeting was going on among the senior farmer leaders, including Bhartiya Kisan Union Uttar Pradesh president Rajveer Singh Jadaun, senior farmer leader Jagtaar Singh Bajwa and Gurmeet Singh, among others.
Jagtaar Singh Bajwa said, “Now we are telling farmers to reach out to others who are not yet part of this protest. We have published a booklet in the simplest of language to make the farmers aware of the three farm laws. We will circulate it at the grass-root level. Hence, the farmers who are working in the villages during the harvest season will also play an important role in the agitation.”
The crowd at the protest sites has thinned visibly. Along with farmers, their tractors have also left for the season’s harvest. But farmers reassure that it is a temporary phase and as the crop season will end, they will be back again in full strength for the agitation.