By Harsh Thakor
A NEW CHAPTER WAS WRITTEN IN THE HISTORY OF REVOLUTIONARY
STRUGGLE FOR SECULARISM AT GRAIN MARKET IN MALERKOTLA ON SUNDAY, 16TH
OF FEBRUARY. TWELVE ORGANIZATIONS SHIMMERED THE SPARK OF ANTI-SAFFRON FASCSIM
RESISTANCE AGAINST NCR, CAA AND NPR LAWS, TO TURN IT INTO A PRAIRIE FIRE. OVER
A LAKH PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF THE MOST WELL ORGANIZED RALLIES CONFRONTING
HINDUTVA FASCIST DICTATES IN THE HISTORY OF PUNJAB —REMINISCENT
A OF A GREAT ARMY CONVERGING IN CREATING THE IMPACT OF THUNDER. AROUND 65,000
COMPRISED THE FARMERS WHICH WAS REMARKABLE.
On 16th of February the scenes at Malerkotla
grain market in Sangrur District in Punjab were reminiscent of a deluge or a
torrent in a rally comprising 12 organizations protesting the National Register
of Citizens (NCR), Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) and National Population
Register (NPR). A huge contingent of over one lakh people from all over the
state which mainly comprised the peasantry stormed into the venue creating a
true festival of the masses. They shimmered the spark of anti-saffron fascist
resistance converting it into a prairie fire. I was privileged to witness one
of the best organized rallies ever in the history of the country confronting
the dictates of Hindutva fascism. Discipline was exhibited at its crescendo
resembling a huge well-knit army preparing for war with langars (food stalls)
set up and security arrangements. The youth built a security barricade around
the stage, keeping a continuous vigil aimed at every area to obstruct any
incident which could escalate violence. Heartening was that half the
participants constituted women. Arguably nowhere in the country has a rally
exhibited such correct revolutionary democratic approach in challenging NRC,
CAA or NPR with revolutionary class politics; or proletarian class unity. Every
toiling section of the people was represented be it peasantry, agricultural
labourers, government employees, industrial workers, youth, students and women.
Very rarely in the history of the country has there ever been such a show of unity
of the working class and the peasantry with the oppressed minorities
confronting Hindutva fascism as here. In recent months in the whole country has
the sword of struggle sharpened so much for the abolishing of the NRC, CAA or
NPR laws. What must never be forgotten was the painstaking preparations done to
mobilize people for the 16th of February rally in so many regions of
the state. Great energy was deployed in educating different sections of the
toiling people and relating the issue to the day to day class struggles. Posters
were stuck and pamphlets distributed all over, virtually painting the towns. A
spate of marches or assembly meetings were held with the students and youth
playing a most important role. Impactful educational sessions were held at
Rajendra College Bathinda and other regions of Malwa like Bagike,
Kotaguru,Gudda ,Nathapura, Kalyan and Harepura by Punjab Students Union(Shaheed
Randhawa) and Naujwan Bharat Sabha and by Punjab Students Union(Lalkar) in
campuses of Ludhiana and Sangrur. Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union held a rally in
Muktsar while BKU(Ugrahan) and Dakaunda encompassed a huge range of regions
like a river flowing. The deep inroads of mass political work are what shaped
the sweeping success of the rally. Malerkota has been a bastion for the Muslim
community in Punjab and though many lives were
lost in partition it still has a historic secular tradition. I can't express
how touched I was seeing the depth of enthusiasm amongst the Muslim women who
in the conclusion converged together on the Pandal chanting slogans condemning
the NRC. It spoke volumes of the meticulous political work by the participant
organizations who left no stone unturned. Vibrations of Shaheed Bhagat Singh's
spirit was resurrected, with the great secular tradition of Malerkotla, even in
partition days when Hindus and Sikhs saved thousands of Muslim lives. Anger
simmered at its boiling point in the hearts of the participants against the
Hindu saffron agenda for which I do not have an adjective to describe, the rally
boosted the morale of the Muslim community and the toiling masses in their
resolve to overthrow the NRC and CAA acts reflecting the determination of army
to win a war. Igniting flame of secularism at its most intense point
participants stated that till their last tooth they would fight against Muslim
citizens being incorporated with NRC Status. Significant how the Jamat Islamia
or other Muslim Organizations could identify with the democratic secular
aspirations of the democratic mass organizations of Punjab and in no uncertain
terms praised their aims and work. Slogans were raised ‘Never again any 1947',
'no more attacks on our brotherhood’, ‘Death to Fascism’ etc demanded
vociferously that the Narendra Modi
Government should repeal these black fascist laws. "Different delegations
from Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Milia Islamia, New
Delhi and ‘Karvan-e- Muhabbat’( Caravan of Love) also
participated in the rally. The gathering unanimously pledged that they will not
allow the malevolent RSS-BJP government in the centre to divide the country on
religious lines and flare up ultra nationalism and hence crush the democratic
rights, incite religious riots and loot people. The gathering was addressed by
Joginder Singh, president of BKU Ekta Ugrahan, Boota Singh Burj Gill , president
of BKU ( Ekta Dakaunda) , Rajwinder Singh, president of Textile Hosiery Kamgar
Union, Kanwaljeet Singh Pannu, convener of Kisan Sangharsh Committee Punjab,
Lachhman Singh Sevewala from Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Hushiar Singh from PSU
( Shaheed Randhawa), Gurpreet Singh, State convener from PSU ( Lalkar),
Surinder Singh from Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendar, Harjinder from Moulder and Steel
Worker Union, Lakhwinder Singh from Karkhana Mazdoor Union, Women and Farmer
leader Harinder Bindoo, Women peasant leader Amarjit Kaur of Kisan
Union(Dakaunda), Naujwan Bharat Sabha ( Lalkar) leader Namita, Naujwan Bharat
Sabha leader Ashwani Ghudda, Harsha Singh from Inquilabi Naujwan Vidyarthi
Munch. Apart from above mentioned leaders, the leading intellectual Harsh Mander
from Jamia Milia Islamia and student leader Saif- ul – Islam, Tamur from
Shaheen Bagh, Professor Jagmohan Singh, Pramod from TSU, Parminder from Desh
Bhagat Yadgaari Committee Jalandhar, Rajinder Bhadaud from Taraksheel Society,
Amolak Singh from Pulse Manch, Abdul Shakoor and Shagufta Yawer from Jamaat e
Islami Punjab, and Kulwant Singh from Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, Gurnam Singh Daud
from Dihati Mazdoor Sabha also addressed the rally. The noticeable point is
that the speakers touched the burning issues of the people and the strategy
incorporated by the BJP rulers to divide the people and divert them through
acts like NRC. In depth they touched upon how the Muslims community for decades
was targeted, subjugated to discrimination or marginalization but now their
suffering under the dictates of the Saffron fascists had reached a crescendo.
They also exposed the naked collaboration of the Congress for decades with
giving patronage to Saffron forces and only disguising themselves as secular. Even
if some overtones were expressed sympathetic to Mahatma Gandhi opposing
anti-Muslim attacks, in the main it opposed Gandhi and Nehru's approach to
secularism, upholding the ideology of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Most of the leaders
summed up the need for revolutionary day to day struggles to develop to
confront saffron dictates and not just preaching communal brotherhood. Emphasis
was placed that the seeds of what was happening was planted in 1947 itself
which has aggrandized today. With examples they illustrated that no opposition
party had any genuine secular agenda. Notable also how peasantry could connect
the anti-NCR-NPR agitation with their burning issues facing them as a part of
the anti-feudal or anti-imperialist struggle as a whole. The anti-people nature
of globalization and privatization was summarized in connection with the motive
of the ruling party to use religion to break the genuine people's struggles. A
perfect illustration of how to build a bridge between the revolutionary class
mass movement with that against oppression of Muslim minority without falling
prey to identity politics. A major trend projected was the ideology of Shaheed
Bhagat Singh with regard to caste, religion and class from an anti-feudal and
anti-imperialistic perspective in contrast to the B.R. Ambedkar or Mahatma
Gandhi. This event stitched a base to hit the Hindu saffron agenda at its
hardest point by mobilizing every possible force in a united front. The labour
of the working class, including the Muslims, was applauded as well as forces
who were sharpening the s word in the struggle against liberalization,
privatization and globalization. The patronage of loot of the corporate s was
exposed They said that the real patriots of the country are those working
people of all religions including Muslims who are contributing to the
production in the country, those who are fighting to protect the secular
foundations of the country, opposing privation, liberalization, globalization,
as well as those who are guarding the resources of our country from the blatant
loot by Adani-Ambani and other corporate families. In deep depth they defended
the credibility of the Muslim minority to which they felt Modi made a
scapegoat. The untold suffering caused by staged communal riots was touched
upon, particularly the impact on women and working people. It was explained how
none of the agenda of a 'Hindu nation" would benefit the Hindu people but
instead even create a backward state where he Hindu working class and peasantry
would be virtually stripped of all their basic democratic rights. The heroic
resistance by the workers, peasantry, agricultural labourers, women, students
and youth irrespective of their caste and religion was greatly praised which
prevented communal riots. It was demanded that the CAA be repealed, NRC NPR be
taken back and cases against the protesting people be withdrawn and arrested
intellectuals and people be released, and that strict action should be taken
against officers involved in brutal action in JNU, Jamia University Delhi as
well as all other black laws should be repealed. In the rally a resolution was
passed protesting the brutal onslaught on Kashmiri people and their forced
arrests and draconian restrictions imposed on them and it was demanded that
Section 370 and 35-A be repealed. Also a condolence motion was passed holding
the local administration responsible for the death of four innocent children
killed in yesterday’s bus fire incident at Longowal. At the conclusion all the
leaders of participating Organizations declared that it would persist the
campaign with a series of programes all over the state from February 24th
through 29th to enable the spark of anti-NCR ,CAA-NPR resistance to continue
sparkling and its spirit not diffusing. One of the most significant speeches
was made by Harsh Mander from Delhi
on what Shaheed Bhagat Singh would have felt and done today. He highlighted his
childhood experiences in partition and how Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs lived as
brothers. In depth Mander delved upon how the current acts totally contravened
the secular India Bhagat Singh aspired for and linked the issue to the overall
economic sufferings the masses were subjugated to.
“I appeal to all of you not to show any document when the
officials knock at your doors for papers that will prove your citizenship of
your own country. I wont show them any document and I will declare myself a
Muslim, and let them detain me. I appeal to you all to do the same,” he said,
to loud applause.
He raised the slogan, “Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai, aapas mein
hai behen bhai’, and the crowds joined in. “Yes, the countrywide protests are
successful because of our Muslim sisters,” Mander added. I am overjoyed that
thousands of Bhagat Singhs have been resurrected to save the country."
Harsh warned the people that NPR would facilitate the building of detention
centers where conditions would be worse than prisons. Joginder Singh Ugrahan,
president of BKU (Ugrahan) alleged that “BJP was treacherously misleading the
people of the country by allowing the big corporations to loot freely the
water, forest, land and other rich natural resources in the name of patriotism.”
Lachhman Singh Sewewala of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union announced on the
occasion that the statewide protests would further intensify from February 24
to 29. “The people of Punjab won’t allow
fascist forces to implement their agenda of ‘Hindutva’. We the people earlier
held ourselves back on the government’s notorious and racial move of reading
down the Article 370 in Kashmir, but we won’t sit quietly
Professor Jagmohan Singh, the nephew of Bhagat Singh, said
it was often seen that citizens have been punished for violating the law or
denigrating the country’s constitution—
“But it is the reverse now with rulers like Amit Shah and
Modi maligning our country’s constitution and people protesting on roads to save
the constitution,” the professor said.
Punjab Lok
Sabhyachark Manch president Amolak Singh echoed these sentiments. “The tirade
of protests in Punjab will sustain for a very
long period, to derail all the anti-people moves of the government, especially
its communal agenda of targeting the Muslims. Harinder Bindu head of the
Women's BKU wing made a touching speech on the aspect of oppression of women,
particularly Muslims. It was touching seeing her solidarity with the Muslim
women contingent at the conclusion. The youth were seen forming security rings
around the stage, keeping a vigil all around to scuttle any incident which
could escalate to violence. President of Indian Muslim League, Mahmud Ahmed
Thindi felt that this rally was the most impactful against the NRC in a
qualitative and qualitative sense, igniting the flame of resistance at a
crescendo not reached anywhere else. He spoke volumes of the preparation
marches of the groups; particularly the peasant groups and referred to how
black laws destroyed the very sanctity of the constitution.
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