Like an ordinary politician Chaduni has the right to contest election, but he must evaluate the consequences his decision would have on the body politic of Punjab and the future struggle of the farmers. Since Chaduni is a prominent face of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a body of 40 farm unions that led a year-long farmers’ agitation against three central agriculture laws, which eventually forced the prime minister to repeal the black laws, his edict ought to be analysed seriously: whether the agitation has failed to serve the interest of the farmers or the farmers instead of asserting their self-independent identity should prefer to become the part of the existing political mechanism and system.

Chaduni retreating from his avowed pathway is really a matter of serious concern. His assertion that his party will contest the Punjab assembly polls also puts the SKM under scanner. This will turn the farmers of other states suspicious of the future of the SKM; whether this would continue to be an effective instrument and forum to espouse their cause. Does not SKM lose its grit and appeal on the farmers? Little doubt being in closer vicinity to Rajasthan, Haryana and Western UP, his stand will harm the agitation and demotivate the farmers.

The reason mentioned by Chaduni, who is also the president of the Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union, for floating the party: “Our objective will be to purify politics and bring good people forward,” is basically an evasive explication. While justifying his move he accused political leaders of framing policies in favour of capitalists while ignoring the interests of the poor. He also said that the Sanyukt Sangharsh Party will be a secular one and work for the welfare of all sections of society.

At the call of Chaduni while 22 of the 32 Punjab-based farmer unions that were at the forefront of the agitation have decided to contest election; 10 others have preferred to rally behind the SKM. They are against participating in the elections.

Significantly, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) the largest organisation of farmers in Punjab and the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee (KMSC), a prominent outfit at the forefront of the agitation, has refused to contest the election. The general secretary of the BKU (E-U) made it clear: “If any harm comes to our struggle on farmers’ issue due to the decision of these 22 unions to fight the election, they shall be directly responsible for the consequences. These unions have taken their own decision but we do not agree with it”. Sarvan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the KMSC, said “we will judge these farmers’ unions with the parameters similar to any other political party. We won’t either support or oppose them”.

Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Darshan Pal, members of the coordination committee of the SKM, said “There is no call for the boycott of elections and no consensus on going ‘jointly’ to contest them. After the repeal of the three agricultural laws, the struggle has been postponed and the remaining demands will be decided in the meeting to be held on January 15”. Nevertheless they made it clear “the individuals or organisations participating in the elections cannot use the names of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha. Doing so will result in disciplinary action”.

This stand of the SKM makes it clear that the farmers’ unity has lost purpose, dimension and dynamics. Narendra Modi conceding the demand of the farmers to repeal the laws was perceived as the launching of strategic check on the emergence of a new political system in which the farmers will have their say. It was envisioned that the Indian political system was undergoing a change. In fact, this has forced Modi to amend his stand and agree to repeal so that the agitation did not get stretched beyond a limit. An elongated agitation would have jeopardised the manoeuvrability of the political system.

The decision by Chaduni to contest the election is being perceived as a step towards accepting the prevailing system and their unwillingness to allow the emergence of a new political system where farmers have a definite control and right to assert. A closer look would make it clear that the new party would be a challenger to Congress not the BJP. However, senior leaders like Balbir Singh Rajewal claim “the decision has been taken to change the existing system in the state. We need to change the system”.
A very significant polarisation has taken place between farmer’s organisations from the SKM. The Punjab election would decide the future character of the farmers’ movement. This election will decide whether the democratic movement and democracy will survive or the fascist forces will have an upper hand on the political system and institution of the country. The disintegration of the farmers’ forces will not propel the democratic movement to give a jolt to communal fascism and monopoly of the corporates.

The keenness of the farmers’ leaders underlines the fact that they are tempted by the benefits and gains of parliamentary politics. They have not fully understood the implications and strengths of the farmers’ power and also the dynamics of democratic struggle.

According to the leaders of BKU (Ugrahan) the battle was only half-won, with major demands like statutory guarantee for MSP and loan waiver pending. Its stand towards the organisations participating in the polls would depend on the position they took on farmer issues. The leaders opposed to participation in election consider the present electoral politics as a derailing and misleading activity.

The BKU (Darshan Pal), that is also staying out of the political front, said it would ask the people to pressurise farmer leaders to concentrate on the “andolan (struggle)” and not get caught up in politics. Darshan Pal also hit out at the new front, saying some “small” farmer organisations were drooling over “power” and aspiring to become ministers and MLAs. While participating in elections was “not a crime”, Darshan Pal said, “certainly we will not support them at all if they do alliance with any political party”.

On December 25 Bharti Kisan Union (BKU Ekta Ugrahan) has given the call to continue the struggle. It holds that the struggling farmer unions instead of getting entangled in the vote politics of the rulers should concentrate on the farmers issues. State president Joginder Singh Ugrahan and the general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kala of the organisation said that the farmers ‘struggle against the farm laws has also proved that the rights and interests of farmers cannot be saved and ensured by sitting in parliament or assemblies. It can be achieved only by struggle in the open at mass and community level.

Though Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has retracted his earlier statement that the Centre may introduce farm laws, the Modi government’s course of action will depend on the result of the elections. It is evident from the observation of Tomar that farmers’ participation in the election will bolster the claim of the Modi government. Modi has always been telling the people that only a section of farmers have been opposed to the farm laws. It obviously implied that most of the farmers are in its favour. Farmers’ participating in the election will prove to be a booster for him. (IPA Service)