In a dramatic escalation of the simmering tension between farmers and the government in Punjab, prominent farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher has made a resounding declaration that is set to once again bring the state’s farmers to the streets. On 14th July, villages, towns, and cities across Punjab will witness thousands of farmers marching, blocking roads, and raising slogans in protest — not for higher crop prices this time, but to oppose what they see as the dangerous privatization of Punjab’s vital power utility, Powercom.
The move comes under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the same farmers’ front that shook India with the historic 2020–21 farmers’ protests against three controversial farm laws. The announcement by Pandher is more than just another agitation — it’s a stark reminder that Punjab’s farming community remains vigilant, organized, and ready to hit the streets when they believe the government’s policies threaten their livelihoods.
The Core Issue: Privatization of Power
At the heart of this planned protest is the allegation that the Punjab government is preparing to hand over the state’s power corporation, commonly known as Powercom, to private hands. For farmers in Punjab — who rely heavily on subsidized electricity to run their tube wells and irrigation pumps — any move toward privatization rings alarm bells.
Punjab is India’s agricultural powerhouse, often called the ‘Granary of India.’ The state’s fertile plains, extensive canal systems, and extensive groundwater reserves make it a breadbasket for wheat and rice production. But these advantages come with high energy demands. Free or heavily subsidized power for agriculture has been a lifeline for Punjab’s farmers for decades.
To farmers, privatization threatens this. They fear that private ownership will lead to higher tariffs, stricter billing, and reduced subsidies, pushing already indebted farmers further into financial distress.
Why Are Farmers So Worried?
The opposition to privatization is not new. Across India, farmer groups have historically opposed moves to privatize essential utilities like electricity and water. Their fear is simple: private companies, driven by profit, would prioritize revenue over affordability.
In Punjab, this fear is heightened by the state’s deep dependence on groundwater for irrigation. With erratic monsoons and shrinking canal water, more than 75% of Punjab’s farmers depend on electric tube wells to draw groundwater to irrigate their fields. Any increase in power costs directly raises their cost of cultivation.
For marginal farmers, who make up a large portion of Punjab’s rural economy, even small increases in input costs can mean the difference between survival and ruin.
Sarwan Singh Pandher: A Voice for the Fields
Sarwan Singh Pandher has emerged in recent years as one of the strongest voices of the organized farmer movement in Punjab. A veteran of multiple agitations, his speeches — delivered in powerful, straightforward Punjabi — strike a chord with ordinary farmers.
Pandher’s call to action is clear: the farmer community cannot stand idle while policies are made that will burden them for generations. By announcing a statewide protest, he has issued an unmistakable signal that farmers are ready to defend what they see as their hard-won rights — no matter who sits in the corridors of power.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha: Not Just a Name
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is not just an organization — it is a banner that symbolizes unity among dozens of farmer unions across India. Born during the historic farm laws protest, the SKM has continued to act as a collective forum to take up farmer-centric issues — from crop price guarantees to land rights to input subsidies.
The 2020–21 protests forced the central government to repeal the three farm laws after a year-long standoff that witnessed massive rallies, tractor parades, and even tragic deaths at protest sites. This victory gave the SKM credibility and moral authority among India’s rural masses.
By taking up the issue of Powercom’s privatization, the SKM is signaling that its fight did not end with the repeal of the farm laws — it remains active and ready to push back whenever farmers’ interests are threatened.
Understanding the Privatization Push
Proponents of privatization argue that Punjab’s power sector is plagued by inefficiency, mounting losses, and outdated infrastructure. Handing over operations to private companies, they say, could improve efficiency, reduce corruption, and modernize distribution.
However, critics point out that these benefits often do not trickle down to ordinary consumers — especially poor and marginal farmers. Instead, privatization can lead to cost-cutting measures that undermine service quality, layoffs of workers, and stricter billing that small farmers find hard to bear.
In Punjab, where free power for farmers has been a political promise across parties, any step toward removing or reducing subsidies is politically explosive.
The Larger Political Context
Pandher’s protest call comes at a sensitive time. Punjab’s political landscape is volatile, with the state government under pressure to manage debts, maintain subsidies, and address the demands of various sectors — farmers, government employees, and urban consumers.
Balancing fiscal discipline with populist policies has always been tricky in Punjab. The power subsidy alone costs the state exchequer thousands of crores every year. Privatization is often floated as a solution to plug losses and reduce the subsidy burden.
But the political cost can be huge. For any ruling party, a direct confrontation with farmers — who still wield enormous influence in rural Punjab — is a risky gamble.
How Farmers Plan to Protest
According to Pandher’s announcement, the protest will be organized simultaneously in every district of Punjab on 14th July. The plan is to block key roads and highways, hold sit-ins outside government offices, and organize peaceful marches in towns and villages.
Farmer leaders have clarified that while the protest will be peaceful, it will be relentless. They have vowed to keep the pressure on until the government scraps any move to hand Powercom to private companies.
They also plan to reach out to urban consumers, explaining that privatization may eventually lead to higher power bills for everyone, not just farmers.
The Echoes of Previous Movements
Pandher’s call brings back memories of the Singhu and Tikri borders near Delhi, where thousands of Punjab’s farmers camped for months during the farm law agitation. Many of the same faces, tractors, and village committees that organized those protests are now mobilizing again.
Local gurudwaras, which served langar (community kitchens) to protesters for months during the Delhi blockade, are once again pledging support. WhatsApp groups and village panchayats are abuzz with planning meetings and travel arrangements.
This is grassroots mobilization at its rawest — and most powerful.
What Farmers Want
The farmers’ demand is straightforward: drop any privatization plan for Powercom immediately and guarantee that electricity subsidies for agriculture will continue.
They want a written assurance from the Punjab government that no agreement will be signed with private firms that could compromise the interests of ordinary farmers.
Some farmer leaders are also demanding a wider dialogue on energy reforms. They argue that if losses in the power sector need to be plugged, the government should first tackle corruption, power theft, and transmission inefficiencies before burdening the end user.
Could There Be a Middle Ground?
Some policy experts argue that full-scale privatization is not the only solution. There are examples where governments have modernized and restructured state-owned power companies to improve efficiency without privatizing them entirely.
Options like public-private partnerships, performance-based contracts, or modern technology upgrades can achieve reforms without triggering fears of profit-driven exploitation.
Farmers’ groups say they are open to discussions on genuine reforms — but only if these do not transfer ownership or control to private corporations.
What Happens If the Protest Grows?
If the 14th July protest draws massive participation, it will put enormous pressure on the Punjab government to clarify its stand. Already, opposition parties are watching closely, ready to back the farmers’ agitation to corner the ruling administration.
If the government tries to push privatization despite protests, more intense agitations could follow — including indefinite sit-ins, blockades, and rallies at the state capital.
The last major farmers’ protest showed that when rural communities unite under the SKM, they can sustain a movement for months, attract national attention, and even force policy reversals.
A Test for Democracy
At its heart, this protest is about more than just electricity bills. It is about who controls essential services, how public resources are managed, and whether communities most affected by policy changes have a meaningful say.
For farmers, standing up to privatization is also about defending the principle that agriculture — and the inputs that sustain it — must not become playgrounds for profit alone.
The Road Ahead
As the 14th of July approaches, all eyes will be on Punjab’s highways, village squares, and district offices. Sarwan Singh Pandher’s announcement has once again reminded India’s political class that Punjab’s farmers are organized, vocal, and unwilling to back down when their livelihood is on the line.
Whether this protest forces a policy rethink or not, it reinforces a timeless truth: when farmers unite, their collective strength can challenge even the most powerful institutions.
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