Here an SKM, there an SKM, and the threat to farmers’ unity

The divisions among the farmers is not to their benefit.

Farmers are back in the national capital. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had given a call to farmers across the country to congregate at the historic Ramlila Maidan on March 14 for a “mahapanchayat” to pressure the Union government to deliver on their promises on MSP, crop damage compensation and other agrarian issues.

Even as the SKM is organising this grand meeting, its splinter faction which is known as SKM (non-political) is holding fort at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders that separate Punjab from Haryana. Questions are being asked if there are schisms between the two farmers’ groups.

One can assume there is a widening gulf, just by reading the writing on the wall or even their press releases. The splinter faction overtly calls itself the SKM (non-political) or SKM(NP) because it wants to distinguish itself from the larger body of farmers’ unions – SKM though both groups are essentially demanding the same things.

SKM And SKM (Non-Political)

The reason for the schism is believed to be the strong non-political stance of SKM(NP). The SKM (non-political) wanted to distinguish themselves from the earlier farm leaders who had quit SKM and contested in the Punjab elections.

Now although senior and prominent SKM leaders like Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Rakesh Tikait and the Left unions are offering support and solidarity to SKM (non-political), the leaders from the two groups haven’t shared stages yet. Neither was there any public invite for SKM’s non-Punjabi leaders to visit the Shambhu-Kannuri borders. The original SKM – which now has cadre and leadership spread through the country – has also taken a back seat at the Shambhu border.

But the situation gets even more confusing, as it was the SKM (Non Political) that had originally taken a militant stance and wanted to march to Delhi in a tractorcade in mid-February, which had alarmed the Union government leading to denial of permission and their blockade at the Punjab-Haryana border.

Even today about 10,000 farmers are encamped at the Shambhu borders. Instead of them, it is the SKM that has been given permission for the mahapanchayat at the Ramlila Maidan. This also raises the question whether the farmers encamped at the Shambhu border will join the mahapanchayat? If not, why? After all their demand was a simple one – allow us the tractorcade to reassert our demands for MSP, etc.

Now looking at the situation politically, the farmers’ movement which had stood united against the Union government for 13 months, today seems to be split. Despite common demands, the farmers’ groups are unable to come together, causing disunity in their ranks and weakening their mission.

There are many cracks that are opening up on the farmers’ front, which necessarily will be abused by different political pundits. This also opens up an opportunity for political manipulation of an agrarian crisis. Very soon the agrarian question could be relegated to the backburner if the farm leaders cannot prevent their own splintering.

There is no doubt that India has been under agrarian distress for some time now. Even the BJP-RSS’s own farmer wing Bharatiya Kisan Sangh organised a large farmers’ rally at the Ramlila Maidan and attacked the Modi government for agrarian failures. Yet no solution could be achieved.

Way Forward

The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right and duty, and farmers should have the right to protest peacefully. But the divisions among the farmers is not in their benefit. By allowing the SKM mahapanchyat to happen in Delhi, the government has played a smart political hand.

It has given in to the farmers’ demand for peaceful protest. Of course, the Union government is still deflecting the MSP question but yet it has successfully created a counterweight to the SKM (Non-Political)’s border camps.

The deadlock can only be broken if the smaller factions rejoin the main SKM and participate in the mahapanchayat in huge numbers. By creating distance and distrust in the present leadership, farmers are moving further from their goal of MSP.

One of the major reasons why the 13-month movement against the farm laws was successful in making the Union government take back the three laws was SKM’s unity and non-violence. Going forward the farmers’ unions would need a similar strategy.

SKM (Non-Political)’s plan to push towards Delhi and getting the MSP law as per Swaminathan commission, is fraught with the risk of turning violent as the state forces are under strict orders not to allow the farmers to cross into Haryana, and in any case the faction is in no position of strength by itself. The SKM main body comprising veteran farm leaders has proven to be the more tactful of the two by making the first entry into Delhi. But their divisions won’t help their MSP cause.

Indra Shekhar Singh is an independent agri-policy analyst and writer. He was former Director - Policy and Outreach, NSAI. He also hosts an agri-talk show and his X ID is @indrassingh. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.