Why in the News?

On March 19, the anniversary of the Muzhara movement is observed, marking a significant chapter in Punjab’s agrarian struggles.

About Muzhara Movement

Muzharas were farmers who worked the land but had no ownership rights.
- They were part of a larger class of landless peasants in Punjab, facing oppressive feudal systems.
The biswedars (landlords), who took one-third of the produce, controlled the land.
- This system led to economic exploitation, with a significant portion of the produce and profits going to the feudal landlords and, ultimately, the British colonial rulers.
The muzharas were seeking ownership of the land they had tilled for generations, asserting their right to the land in opposition to both the feudal and colonial systems.
In March 1949, when the biswedars tried to reclaim land from the muzharas, Kishangarh village became the epicentre of the struggle.
A violent standoff between the muzharas and the Patiala police ensued, which resulted in the death of a police officer on March 17.
The army intervened on March 19, leading to four muzharas being killed in the ensuing confrontation.

	Details
Champaran Satyagraha (1917)	Led by Mahatma Gandhi in Bihar against the tinkathia system, where peasants were forced to grow indigo on part of their land. Resulted in the Champaran Agrarian Act (1918), which abolished oppressive practices.
Kheda Satyagraha (1918)	Organized in Gujarat after crop failures when the government refused to remit land revenue. Gandhi and Sardar Patel supported peasants in withholding revenue payments until demands were met.
Bardoli Satyagraha (1928)	Led by Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat against a 30% hike in land revenue. The movement succeeded, and Patel earned the title “Sardar” for his leadership.
Tebhaga Movement (1946-47)	Initiated by the Kisan Sabha in Bengal, demanding a two-thirds share of produce for tenants instead of the customary half. Despite being suppressed violently, it highlighted peasant rights.
Telangana Movement (1946-51)	A communist-led peasant guerrilla struggle in Andhra Pradesh against feudal landlords and the Nizam’s oppressive regime. Achieved redistribution of land and improved

[UPSC 2013] The demand for the Tebhaga Peasant Movement in Bengal was for:

(a) the reduction of the share of the landlords from one-half of the crop to one-third,

(b) the grant of ownership of land to peasants as they were the actual cultivators of the land,

(d) writing off all peasant debts