Lahore’s Faisal Chowk, popularly known as The Charing Cross, on The Mall close to the Punjab Assembly, gave a different look on August 20. The onlookers could see the whole place covered with potatoes as if it was an agricultural field where the produce had been stocked before being packed and transported to markets.

The potatoes had been thrown by the farmers coming in large numbers from around 22 districts of Punjab in a protest against what they called the "anti-farmer" policies of the provincial government. The major complaint of these farmers, mobilised under the banner of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI), was that the input costs of farming had risen too much, mainly due to indirect taxes. Besides, the cost of electricity required to run tube-wells was too high. This, they said, had made it impossible for the farmers to even break-even what to talk about making profits from the sale of their crops.

The farmers were also desperate as they were unable to sell their stocks due to low prices in the local market and the government’s reluctance to help them out by exporting the surplus produce.

They were concerned about the import of vegetables from India where agriculture was highly subsidised and farmers had a competitive edge over their Pakistani competitors. Another demand wanted the federal government to abandon the idea of converting the premises of National Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Islamabad, into a housing colony. Their point was that this institute had made a highly valuable contribution to the country’s agriculture through its research and development (R&D) activities and it must stay.

No doubt, the farmers have been able to register their protests successfully and force the government representatives to come to the talking table. But one question that has come to many minds is that which party or group of people is behind this movement and who is providing them financial and logistic support. There are allegations of these farmer groups being supported by a lobby of corporate farmers and industrialists running agro-based industries. It is alleged that the numbers and roadblocks are used to press the government to give incentives to big farmers and resist moves like the imposition of income tax on agriculture.

Khalid Mahmood Khokhar, President PKI and a farmer from Multan, rubbishes these allegations and says they are self-financed and concerned only about the genuine issues of farmers. He tells TNS they have district chapters where farmers are organised and make regular contributions to collectively managed funds. What they get in return is simple; whenever they have a problem with revenue staff, irrigation department, police etc. their fellow members reach the spot and get it resolved without paying any bribe. "Farmers have simply realised the benefits of organising and are exerting pressure through organised struggle," says Khokhar.

To a question about some political party backing the movement, he says this is just a propaganda against them. "Instead, political parties are coming to us and trying to capitalise on the popularity of our movement." He says PTI Chairman Imran Khan invited him to a gathering in Vehari but he refused as he did not want to get the movement politicised.

He shares it with TNS that though they have got the PKI registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), they want to keep the movement apolitical. He says there is no need to suspect a secret hand behind the movement. "One can go to any extent when one is dying of hunger and is unable to feed one’s family. We are simply gathering at a point and registering our protests."

Khokhar says it was not easy to reach Lahore this time so they hoodwinked the government and its agencies by placing advertisements in newspapers that they will be reaching Islamabad on August 23. Instead, he says, they reached areas around Faisal Chowk in Lahore in small groups on August 20 and reached the spot on a pre-decided time to block The Mall.

He says as per their plan, the farmers would come and go the same day and another batch of farmers would replace them at Faisal Chowk. This method, he says, was adopted to cut down the cost of housing and feeding such a large number of people in case they stayed in Lahore throughout the duration of the protest.

While Khokhar disassociates the organisation from politics, there are reports about a split in PKI and internal politics. Rana Shafiqur Rehman, a farmer from Okara who claims to be the secretary of the PKI faction headed by Chaudhry Anwar as its chairman, alleges that Khalid Khokhar resigned from the original PKI and formed his group when he was criticised for getting close to the ruling PML-N.

He questions the sources of funds that the Khokhar group uses to place costly advertisements in newspapers and mobilise farmers in such huge numbers. He says he arranged a seminar of a limited number of PKI office-bearers in Lahore on August 23 by collecting contributions from the participants. "It was a Herculean task for us to collect this amount. I cannot figure out how the Khokhar group manages millions of rupees required to fund its activities and campaigns," he questions.

Rehman says they have supported the protest of milk suppliers but only on the condition that they will supply pure and unadulterated milk in the markets.

Khokhar reacts to the charges, saying the government and some other groups are trying to harm their struggle by bringing in imposters. He says the genuine group is the one which has the backing of farmers and those doing politics inside drawing rooms have no scope. He tells TNS he was surprised to see an unknown person announcing an end to PKI protest in a television programme. "When I went to meet the high-level government committee, this dubious person was sitting with them."

Ejaz Chaudhry, President PTI Punjab, explains how the PKI came into being and how the differences emerged. He confirms there was a political dimension to the movement but claims he was the one who organised farmers in Punjab prior to the general elections. He says the PKI was formed in 2011 but when the general elections approached some of its office-bearers showed an inclination toward the PML-N. "This was one of the reasons for the split."

Khokhar refutes the allegations and does not buy his claim of organising the farmers. He says he did vote for Sardar Fakhar Imam of the PML-N but that was his personal decision and it did not mean that PKI had an inclination towards the party.

Abid Hasan Minto, President Awami Workers’ Party (AWP), believes there is a difference between being a party of farmers and being with farmers. He says PKI may not be a representative of the small farmers as its members wasted vegetables and milk during its protests. "The poor farmers we know would have collected the potatoes from roads to feed their families."

He says the protests have intensified not for the reason that the PML-N is worse than PPP in dealings with farmers. Sometimes, he says, several things are happening simultaneously in a given timeframe making things tough for those in power. The fact that civil government is no more in a position to take independent decision is known to all, he adds.

"The global fall in crop prices due to plummeting fuel prices might be another development that has made things tough for farmers and the incumbent government."

Ibrahim Mughal, President Agri Forum Pakistan, explains the phenomenon of protests and roadblocks by farmers, saying it was the only way left to get the attention of the rulers. "Earlier, they paid heed to what was carried by media or presented to them in meetings, but now the political leadership has become hostage to baboos (the civil servants) who dictate them."

Besides, he alleges, agriculture is not the priority of the Punjab government especially when 70 per cent of the province’s agriculture is concentrated in South Punjab, a highly low priority region for the ruling party.