As the year-long farmers’ protest comes to an end after the government scrapped three contentious farm laws, young people in the farming communities, especially from Haryana and Punjab, feel emboldened by the movement's success.
There was a festive feel in the air as the farmers marched and danced to drum beats on their way back to their villages from their protest sites outside Delhi. They had been camping there for a year, protesting against three contentious farm laws. (READ: Protesting farmers won’t back down)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the cancellation of the three laws on November 19, followed by the government conceding to almost all the other demands of farmers on December 9. This led the protest organisers suspending the stir that had lasted 378 days.
The youth who took part in the protest claimed to have had the biggest gains.
“It has sown the seeds of determination and resoluteness among thousands of young people and has filled them with a never-give-up spirit,” said 26-year-old Harjinder Singh, who quit his job as a professor in Patiala to join the protest.
“The determination of our elders who lived under the open sky and slept in chilly weather showed us survival in the most difficult circumstances and lessons that can’t be taught in any management school,” he added.
He is not alone. Young people from various parts of the country who participated in the farmers’ struggle feel the same.
Youth’s role in the movement
“We quit our jobs because we felt that something we didn’t require was being forced on us. We have farmer’s blood in our veins. Plum jobs hardly matter as saving our motherland is our first priority,” said Amarinder Singh, also a professor in Patiala who quit his job. “The movement has filled us with a new energy and has taught us to fight for our rights.”
Experts say that it’s too early to predict whether the movement has altered the mindset of the youth.
“The farmers’ do-or-die courage was exemplary, but it’s unclear whether the youth who live in a comfort zone are ready to face such tough situations. The struggle has filled them with a fire but it might extinguish with the passage of time. We have to wait and watch,” said Ramesh Chandra Mishra, a professor at the Department of Psychology in Banaras Hindu University.
However, the role of the youth cannot be undermined as they are credited for creating a lot of awareness about the farm laws among illiterate farmers.
“As the movement began, a few elements with vested interests targetted old farmers unaware about the controversial farm laws, instigating them to make statements to defame the movement,” said Prabhjot Singh (33), a farmer from Punjab. “We explained to them the nitty-gritty of the laws and managed to stop further damage.”
Why were they protesting?
The farmers and youth were protesting against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act that the central government passed in Parliament in September 2020.
According to the government, the laws were free market reforms. But the farmers claimed that the laws were in favour of big corporations. They feared that they would not have the government’s guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP) and it meant a further reduction in the low profits they were getting.
Farmers from the northern states, primarily Punjab and Haryana, formed the majority of protestors as they supply the bulk of rice and wheat to the government through the public distribution system, and, hence, are assured of getting the MSP.
In the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22, Punjab supplied 53% of rice, followed by Haryana at 16% and Uttar Pradesh at 7%. In KMS 2021-22, Punjab supplied nearly 31% of wheat, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 30% and Haryana at 20%, giving farmers from these states reason to protest the laws. Although these farmers represent only around 6 percent of farmers in India.
No neglect of work
The youth that double up as farmers dismissed reports of farmers neglecting their duty while participating in the struggle.
“We were pained to hear such baseless allegations. It’s true that only the protests were on our mind initially,” said Dharampal (28), a farmer from Sonipat, Haryana.
“When we realised that the movement will continue for a long period we began to rotate our participation in the struggle,” he said.
The farmers formed small batches to go to Singhu border – the protest site – while the others stayed in the villages and looked after the fields of those who were at the protest. “It all happened in a systematic way to ensure that there’s no crop loss and millions of people won’t be left hungry.”
Women held the home-front together
While the men were away for over a year, it was up to the women to not only hold the home front together but often tending to the fields as well.
“We not only went to the fields to water the crops, but also took charge of the everyday aspect of our households like taking the senior citizens to doctors and solving other daily problems,” said Ramandeep Kaur (32), mother of a minor daughter, from Patialia in Punjab. “We stayed like families with our neighbours and cared for each other while our men were away fighting for the cause.”
Some have seen the farmers’ protest as patriarchal as women were rarely seen in the movement, while the men were at the forefront. But many wives feel theirs was a silent but vital role.
“Our children fell sick and required medical consultation, but we never informed the men as it could have stressed them to leave the movement half way,” said Kaur.
Politics of farming
The government hopes that the repeal of the controversial laws wins them political capital.
“The youth of the country knows who serves their interest in the best way and the reason why the government repealed the laws,” said Umesh Rai, a senior BJP leader. “The schemes are meant for people’s welfare but some with ulterior motives have succeeded in defaming the laws that were brought to improve the condition of the farmers.”
Meanwhile, farmer unions said that they would continue to monitor legislation aimed at the farmer.
“We don’t think the government is angry as every individual has the right to fight for his right in a democracy,” said Rattan Mann, State President, Bharatiya Kisan Union, Haryana.
“We will continue to have amicable relations with the government while also ensuring that they keep their promises,” he said.
Harjinder Singh feels this protest was very different from past movements, considering how impactful it was.
“We’ve learnt many lifelong lessons. Our elders are leaving us with a rich legacy that future generation would be proud of. We’re happy to be the first-hand witness of the movement that attracted global attention,” Amarinder Singh added.
