Dr. Chaman Lal 
Can the revolution also be cultivated? Maybe yes, maybe not? But in the imagination of the artist can certainly be! The 2020-21 Kisan Ghol in Punjab gave birth to hundreds of poems, stories and a few novels, but in the age of social media and cameras, thousands, if not millions, of photographs were taken. Documenting this long agrarian crisis, uniquely recorded in world history, is the next most important task beyond taking photographs. These documents, both in print and as living scenes recorded on screen, are perhaps more effective than books, magazines and newspapers, especially in surviving as a unique history after the dissolution. . Two types of media emerged during the solution; One which has been given the title of lap media and this title has also gained recognition in the society because such a huge historical upheaval was recorded quite accurately in the media of the world, but the media sitting in the lap of the lap or government, Especially India’s power plant media has left no stone unturned to distort its image. The Godi media sometimes split it as Khalistani and sometimes as Naxalite. The martyrdom of more than 700 farmers did not spoil the image of Kisani Ghol, but except for a few journalists like Ravish Kumar or Rajdeep Sardesai, the whole procession of Godi Bijlai media anchors was thrown out.
Nishtha Jain is a filmmaker committed to social realities. From the beginning, this solution inspired him to make a documentary film. She is known for her freedom of thought in the film world. Examples of his intellectual maturity and eloquence can be seen from his Facebook page. When the film ‘Sardar’, based on Shaheed Udham Singh, was being praised, he wrote openly about its historical and artistic shortcomings. About Kisani Ghol, she joined with those sincere creative youths like Randeep Maddoke, Mandeep Punia, who supported the Kisani Ghol despite taking risks and were bringing it to the people through YouTube etc. Despite the lack of financial resources, Nishtha Jain has made a documentary film of about two hours on this ghol, drawing a vivid picture of the society and especially the part played by the farmers in the ghol of Punjab. The entire film is in Punjabi and the screen shots and English subtitles are the only means of understanding the film for non-Punjabi audiences.
The film begins with the recitation of Gurbani in the background and the cry of the farmer leader. The interesting thing is that among the main peasant leaders there were and are followers of the Left and Bhagat Singh’s ideas. In one scene of the film, Bhagat Singh’s writing ‘Why am I an atheist’ is engraved in the hands of a farmer activist. From this it is also understood that Gurbani was a major source of inspiration for the common peasantry for their Ghol, which has been explored in many places in the film. As when on January 26, 2021, after hoisting the Khalsai flag on the Red Fort, there was an atmosphere of despair in the Ghol due to the torture of the state and it seemed that it might not be possible to continue the Ghol. At that time, two things did not discourage the farmers. One, the emotional scene of Rakesh Tikat crying at the Gazipur border on the Uttar Pradesh side, which was triggered by police torture. This created a new emotional storm in the entire peasantry. Second, the passionate recitation of Gurbani in continuous musical tones by Punjabi farmers at Singhu and Tikri border. Both things re-invigorated the disillusioned peasantry and the Ghol advanced with even stronger strides. Both these scenes have been filmed in the film with a very artistic vision.
The film begins with three anti-farmer laws brought in by the central government in September 2020. In the first two months, protests against these laws started all over Punjab. Gradually the United Kisan Morcha was formed and expanded. Nationwide protests started and farmers marched to Delhi from 26 November 2020. The government tried hard to prevent them from reaching Delhi, but the farmers remained peaceful. When they were not given any place to sit in Delhi, different farmers’ organizations staged sit-ins at the three borders of Delhi – Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur – with mutual consent. The Tikri border was dominated by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) group, which led to large-scale participation of women in the sit-in. Every day, public meetings were held at the three places during the day, and apart from the speeches of the leaders, eminent singers of Punjab also entertained the people sitting on the dharna with their folk songs. What hardships the farmers went through throughout the year, how men and women from 6 months old to 90 years old participated in the dharna, the film describes through scenes. The government tried very hard to confuse the farmers through negotiations and to cover them with lare lappes. There is also a scene in the film that during the talks, the farmers’ leaders used to take their bread from the place of their sit-ins instead of having official lunch. The government was getting to know the maturity and determination of the farmers’ leaders even through these symbols. Culturally, the songs of Kanwar Grewal and the poems of many poets kept the farmers entertained. There is hardly anyone among the writers and intellectuals of Punjab who has not reached the dharna to support the farmers in this struggle. Once the farmers were freed from the Red Fort incident of January 26, a psychological war started between the farmers and the government as to who would leave first. The government looked at the oppression of the farmers. During the march, more than 700 farmers were martyred, most of whom were youths. Finally, the Modi government, which had not learned to bow down to anyone in nine years, had to bow down to the spirit of peasant unity and martyrdom and withdraw the laws after a dharna of over a year (379 days). During the summer, winter and rains, women, men and children sitting in tents on dharna had to bow down to the invincible spirit and belief.
Scenes in the film have been filmed very vividly, like lack of quilts in winter. A sister laughs and says to her brother that I should make you bread, but you should bring me a quilt. Men and women cook bread and wash dishes together. The work which is done only by women in the house, men also continued to do it here. It is certain that Joginder Singh is more focused in the film on collections. Although leaders such as Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav Raminder Singh, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Jagjit Singh Dallewal etc. are also seen, Ugrahan’s speech is shown most often. The large presence of women is well filmed with spring colored chunnis. It also showed how people spent their day at the front. It is spent lively sometimes playing games, sometimes dancing and singing, sometimes watching struggle movies on mobile or big screen and listening to speeches. An interesting thing is to keep track of the drinkers in the dharna. He was jokingly nicknamed Bhai Saab and was observed regularly. The attitude towards them is sympathetic, not repulsive. Organizations also keep accounts of money and donations.
Nishtha Jain shot four hundred hours, of which one hour and forty-five minutes has been made into this edited documentary film that has earned worldwide acclaim. The film has also won awards in Europe. Photographs of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Udham Singh, Pash etc. heroes were commonly seen with Dharnakaris. Farmers also continued their own Punjabi and English newspaper ‘Trolley Times’ during the dharna. Thus, all kinds of things of human need were present there during this long settlement. Teams of doctors and makeshift hospitals are not shown much in the film, but many other colors of life are visible.
This film was screened in Panjab University, Chandigarh on the occasion of Human Rights Day, and for two hours the audience sat so tightly that no one even coughed. Human Rights Day was observed on 10 December 2020 by the Ugrahan group, focusing on political activists jailed in the Bhima Koregaon case and seeking their release, but that scene is not in the film. However, the Human Rights Day poster shows the speech of the gatherings.
All in all, Nishtha Jain has paid a true tribute to this struggle by reviving this great and historic Kisan Ghol on screen. Now, when Kisan Ghol is again on the path of hard struggle in its new phase, there is a lack of unity among those organizations, which have returned the three agricultural laws, but the rest of the demands, like the demand for MSP, are standing there. , which is a life-and-death battle for farmers. Will all farmers’ organizations again show that unity with which they created the history of 2020-21. The government is ready to bring the three laws in a new form. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a death fast for 41 days, but farmers’ organizations do not seem ready to unite again and bring the government to its knees. Will the cultivation of the revolution flourish again or will it remain confined to the film?
* Former Dean, Faculty of Languages, Panjab University and Retired Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
E-mail: Chamanlal.jnu@gmail,com