Prof Shazia Cheema
WITH reference to the film “Urta Punjab” Indian Punjab can easily misguide policymakers; a youth who is in a constant state of “high & fly” by no means takes any precedent of resistance. Indian Punjab just like now Indian occupied Kashmir had been systematically drowned in drugs. Every second Punjabi was a drug addict and that gave the plot for the film Urta Punjab. When the government of BJP attempts to confiscate Punjabi’s land must have back in its mind that skimpy resistance could come from a land of addicts. However, it was badly mistaken and Punjab stood like a land of real resistance against Agri bills. Since Agri bills have been passed, the Indian Punjab is trying to mark its reservation in the form of speeches, songs, talk shows, roadblocks everywhere in Northern India. Critical observers are keenly examining the scenario with more or less of the same viewpoint that these bills have been approved and will be manifested no matter what. The level and amount of resistance and retaliation required to subjugate such atrocity requires collective, organized and focused effort which apparently these different farmers’ unions do not seem to possess. In the meantime, all farmers’ unions with local activists gave an ultimatum to the Central Government, that as expected was not taken seriously till the time protestors and gatherings started their march toward Delhi.
The caravans of tractors and trollies filled with rations for at least three months are and were moving like an organized platoon with strict orders of not disrupting law and order or hurting any government official. Caravans are comprising a technically trained squad having knowledge of how to disarm a tear gas shell, front-liners with an unbelievable capacity to resist water cannons physically, the band of tactics who can remove the roadblocks in a minimum time frame, war singers, scouts and first aid providers. I am following the March from the beginning and can easily feel the butterflies in my stomach which Delhi must have felt. Panic by the government is obvious, as they have been cozy thinking that these scattered voices can make no sound as powerful so it could reach out to the outer world. Haphazardly government officials designed roadblocks like halting big vehicles, placing concrete blocks and even digging the roads, one scout was on Facebook live and alerting his fellows about an innovative technique of stopping a protest; officials in civil cloths misguided participants by telling the wrong way, that is funny but explains the disparity of the government.
BJP government was not ready and prepared for any big retaliation, let alone an entire unarmed army of civilians, organized, focused, resourceful and tactful, moving mile by mile toward the capital. How Punjab connected with an adjective such as “high and fly” (a psychological trance being used for drug addicts) could exhibit such concentration, motivation and dedication. To simmer my curiosity, I as per habit seek help from Human cognition and come up with a compelling answer and that is a collective consciousness. “Collective consciousness is the set of shared beliefs, ideas and moral attitude which operate as a unifying force within society. In general, it does not refer to the specifically moral conscious, but to a shared understanding of social norms” Both sides of Punjab are fertile lands, the food basket of South Asia, having a recorded history of almost 5,000 years.
The collective wisdom of centuries specifically related to land and agriculture cumulates massive data that is being transferred from generation to generation. All the norms, beliefs, and ideas are woven into this concept. Being a farmer myself I know that owning farmland is not mare an economic connotation in Punjabi society, rather their entire existence revolves around this concept, and with the collective knowledge of so many years so it is almost impossible to think otherwise. This is the mistake Modi Government made as Modi underestimated the power of collective consciousness which by no mean requires planning and plotting it communicates on a metaphysical level and can do impossible if triggered. The Indian farmers are triggered to that level which creates a show of power and might, no roadblocks can stop them now as they are fighting for their existence which according to their collective conscience related to being farmers and producing food for themselves and for others.
—The writer is associated with the University of Lahore.
