A tale of two farmer protests — one in 1917, the other in 2024

The farmers’ ‘movement’ currently at the Punjab-Haryana border in a quest for the fulfilment of their demand, among others, for a law on a minimum support price (MSP), is met with brutal resistance adopted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana, to stop their march to Delhi for registering their protest.

It is instructive that the current agitation has strong parallels with Mahatma Gandhi’s Champaran Satyagraha launched in 1917 for the cause of farmers who (against their will) were forced to plant indigo on their land by the British planters.

It was Gandhi’s first Satyagraha in India after he came back from South Africa in 1915 following his successful Stayagraha in defence of the rights and dignity of Indians who suffered racial discrimination from the British rulers there.

Gandhi is stopped, Gandhi confesses

If in 2024 the protesting farmers are being prevented from entering Delhi to register their protests, in 1917 the British colonial masters denied Mahatma Gandhi entry into Champaran to investigate the causes of farmers’ sufferings. Gandhi faced police action on his way to Champaran, and was arrested for breach of peace. Today, the farmers at the Punjab-Haryana border are facing more gruesome penal measures by the BJP government.

After Gandhi’s arrest in Champaran, he was presented before a magistrate who asked him if he pleaded guilty. To every one’s disbelief, he not only pleaded guilty but also showed extraordinary courage in submitting to the penalty of disobedience. When the magistrate asked him if he had to plead guilty why did he at all violate the law? Gandhi boldly replied that he did so “...in obedience to the higher law of our being — the voice of conscience”. That truthful assertion disarmed the colonial authorities who dropped all charges and allowed him to investigate the cause of the sufferings of farmers.

Brutal police measures

In 2024, the farmers are being subjected to stringent punitive measures for thwarting their peaceful march to Delhi to exercise their constitutional right to protest. Despite their declaration and adherence to peaceful methods in pursuance of their objectives, tear gas shells have been lobbed at them and pellet guns fired to stop their march. Tragically scores have been injured, and many of them have lost sight and a 21-year-old young farmer lost his life on account of a bullet injury.

A law in favour of the farmer

It is illuminating that Gandhi in Champaran undertook extensive consultation with farmers, British planters, scores of peasants, and with the officials of the British bureaucracy and police. That deliberative and consultative process traced the cause of farmers’ sufferings and resulted in generating a report based on which the British regime framed a legislation, the Champaran Agrarian Bill, 1918, to abolish the forcible plantation of indigo.

It was introduced in the Bihar-Orissa assembly for consideration and passage, and after a brief deliberation in the House, it was referred to its Select Committee for scrutiny and examination. Even Gandhi was given a copy of the Bill with a request to examine its contents and suggest alterations in its provisions. He did so, and the British authorities accepted his suggestion that the provision dealing with the summary power of the collectors to act against those filing frivolous complaints against British planters should be dispensed with. The modified Bill subsequently became law putting an end to the exploitation of farmers.

The Champaran Satyagraha, which resulted in the advent of Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom struggle as a colossus, began with him admittedly breaking a law for the cause of farmers and ended with framing of a law putting an end to their sufferings. In 2024, the agitating farmers are demanding a law for an MSP and the Narendra Modi government, instead of engaging in the law-making process based on deliberation and consultation, is bulldozing it and taking extreme coercive steps against the protesters.

It will be unfortunate if when looking at the methods adopted against protesting farmers parallels are drawn between the British coloniser and an elected representative government. The government of the day must be more receptive to the genuine demands of the protesting farmers.

(S N Sahu served as Officer on Special Duty to President of India K R Narayanan.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.