India is predominantly an agricultural country. A majority of the Indian population follows agriculture-related occupations. Farmers are a geographically scattered category.
Unequal distribution of land, the uncertainty of rainfall, shortage of quality seeds, pesticides, etc., lead to less yield and is the root cause of farmers’ poor situation, it seems due to industrialisation, urbanisation, and globalisation primary sector is neglected and farmers are forced to commit suicide. However, instances of the consolidation of their power as a response to unrest and suppression are documented in Indian history.
(i) Emergence of Kisan Sabhas (1922 to 1946) The initiative by the Congress party to support the interests of landlords and Zamindars triggered a protest among the farmers. The Congress supporting the capitalists did not go down well with a section of struggling farmers.
In 1926-27 many Kisan Sabhas were organised in Bengal, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh with revolutionary plans in mind. The Kisan Sabha movement started in Bihar under the leadership of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, with the purpose of -raising voices against the Zamindari system. The representatives of the Kisan Sabhas from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, presented a memorandum in the All-Party Conference, covering the major demands.
Two struggles of the peasantry of Bardoli district (Gujarat) broke out in succession; the first in 1928-29 and the second in 1930-31. The movement gathered momentum in the 1930s. In 1935, the first Kisan Congress was held which was successful in putting forth the unrest and agony of farmers. This resulted in the formation of the All India Kisan Sabha.
The struggle spread to the other parts of India as well. In Punjab, the farmers’ movement erupted under the leadership of Raja Mahendra Pratap. The Ghadar party played a very important role in mobilising farmers and peasants of Punjab together. In Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi led the struggle of poor farmers against the British government in Kheda. In the Southern belt (e.g. in Andhra Pradesh), the struggle erupted against the Forest Law. This phase is also characterised by the worsening of peasant position, consequently culminating in a series of revolts and rebellious actions.
(ii) Post-Independence period Political independence did not translate into the improvement of the conditions for peasants and farmers. The emergence of the farmers’ movement in the Post-Independence era can be located somewhere in the 1970s. Understandably the unrest was felt in the States that was agriculturally, commercially developed States, in their economic orientation. E.g. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. New Ideological perspectives influenced the course of the movement in the Post Independence era.
In the 1960s and 70s, the movement became more organised. Charan Singh became a very important name in the farmers’ struggle. He opposed heavy mechanisation and industrialisation; and championed low capital investment in agriculture. He formed the Bharatiya Kranti Dal (BKD) and the Bhartiya Lok Dal (BLD) in 1974.
By the 1970s farmers started forming their groups, without the backing of any political organisation. In 1973 a convention of farmers was held in New Delhi; it was followed by yet another convention in 1978. It presented a 20- point charter of demands to the government. Demands like representation of farmers on decision-making bodies, bridging the imbalance between agriculture and industry, etc., were included during this time.
Tamil Nadu and Punjab witnessed the emergence of strong farmers’ organizations. In 1980, the formation of the Shetkari Sangatana under the leadership of Sharad Joshi a d Karnataka Rajya Ryot Sangh under the leadership of M. D. Nanjundaswamy are milestones in the Farmers’ movement in India.
With the processes of industrialisation and globalisation, conditions have changed rapidly for farmers. With seasonal fluctuations apathy of the government and negligence by the masses, farmers continue to suffer in India. Farmer’s suicide has become a common affair. In March 2018 thousands of farmers from different parts of Maharashtra got together to march to Azad Maidan (Mumbai), to convey to the government their grievances and frustrations.
For the first time ever, the term ‘Farmers’ Strike’ was used by media personnel, when farmers ignored the market in disgust, throwing agricultural produce on roads. A radically new chapter was added to the farmers’ movement in India.
