Women in Bundelkhand Boost Anti-Farm Laws Protests, Demand Recognition as Farmers

Lucknow: A new wave of female leadership is emerging in Uttar Pradesh's economically and socially backward Bundelkhand region, a parched stretch affected by agrarian crisis.

In the villages in the Uttar Pradesh part of Bundelkhand, Women are turning up in large numbers every single day, almost as if it were their call of duty, to protest against the Centre’s three recent farm laws. The gathering begins at 10 AM in the morning every day and crowds disperse by the evening, before assembling again the next day.

This disciplined show of solidarity and resistance is rooted in the neglect faced by the peoples from the Centre and the state governments over the decades.

Speaking to NewsClick, summing up the sentiment on the ground, Thaku Pujari, a protestor, said, "We will not be divided now and we will not budge until the farm laws are repealed, we are united in our struggle and it will continue."

Pujari, a social activist along with dozens of women including Meera Rajput, Lalita, Mubina Khan, Kushma, Fula and children carrying posters, banners and placards under the banner of Chingari Sangathan — an informal forum working to secure the rights of women farmers -- take part in the protest against three farm laws in at least 25 villages — Bhanwarpur, Nibi, Kherwa, Attarra, Bharosapurwa, Naugwa, Narsinghpur, Chandpura and Shahbazpur of Banda in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh for the last seven days.

"Initially, there were around a dozen women and men but now more than 1000 persons join us every day in the morning till evening. Every passing day more and more women are joining us," said Pujari who is also mobilising women by going door to door in Bundelkhand region to attend protests against the farm laws and on women’s issues," she told NewsClick.

Echoing similar sentiments, Mubina and Kushma say, "We will not stop our agitation till the Modi government roll back these anti-farmer laws. The government should pay heed to the plight of farmers and must roll back these draconian laws immediately,” said Raja Bhaiya, a member of Chingari Sangathan, who is taking part in the protest in Attarra block of Banda in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.

They said that protests were being organised in several villages and women gather every day at primary schools or panchayat bhawans in their villages to show their resistance against India's new controversial farm laws.

DEMAND FOR RECOGNITION OF WOMEN FARMERS

Legions of women have trekked to Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand region to join protests against agricultural reforms, hoping not only to protect their livelihoods but also to win recognition as farmers.

"The motive behind the protest is also to win visibility as a farmer because in India women are never considered as farmers... we are always counted as housewives, but not as farmers or workers," said Kushma, 40, who owns a very marginal farm in Attarra block, Banda district.

"Nirayi gudayi se le kar fasal tyar karna ho ya fasal kaatna, sab aurtein hi karti hain (from weeding to tilling the soil or harvesting and cultivating, women do everything),” Fula, a landless farmer told NewsClick. “Our contribution is never seen as equal as men despite working more than men," she said adding that they joined the protest in solidarity with their Delhi and Western UP counterparts who have been camping on borders for the last 80 days. "This is a major national protest and I joined it so people know that we are also farmers because, till date, no woman has got the status of a female farmer; her identity has not been developed as a female farmer; this protest is also being held keeping this in the mind.”

Narrating the ordeal of women farmers in Bundelkhand region, Raja Bhaiya, who is also at the forefront of the protests, told NewsClick, "Hundreds of farmers commit suicide in Bundelkhand region every year but if a woman farmer commit suicide due to agrarian distress, the government or media never consider the death as distress rather portray it as ‘gharelu kalah’ (domestic strife). There is no such data of suicide of farmers due to agriculture crisis but the ratio of the suicide of women is more as compared to men.” He added that they want to send out a message by holding the protest that their demands should become the subject of discussion

The Chingari Sangathan says it matters to them to voice their thoughts and perspective on these laws. They said, if the government does not accede to their demands, their sit-in protest will continue indefinitely. “Even if our crops rot in the fields, we won’t budge until our demands are met. Repealing these laws is more important than saving the produce of a season,” it added.

According to the outfit, the 2011 Census had given recognition to women as ‘cultivators’ but not ‘farmers’. Recognition as farmers would help women get loans for cultivation, loan waivers, crop insurance, subsidies, and even compensation, they pointed out.

Meanwhile, Prem Singh, a farmer leader based in Banda said, "The problem of the farmer of the whole country is the same, and by this, we do not only mean the advantages and disadvantages of the farm bills. The farmers want their representative who raises their issue."

Talking about Minimum Support Price, Singh further said, "Merely 2% farmers of Bundelkhand region take advantage of the MSP and in my village Choti Barokhar, a farmer-majority village, hardly 1% get MSP on their crops. Ironically, the brokers and middlemen purchase crops at a cheap price and sell at the double-triple rate in the cities," Prem told NewsClick, adding that they want a guaranteed price for the crops.