PEPSU (Patiala and the East Punjab States Union)
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Muzhâra Movement
Raakhi Jagga, March 20, 2025: The Indian Express
March 19 commemorates the anniversary of the Muzhara movement, a significant agrarian struggle in Punjab.
The movement began in the 1930s in villages of the erstwhile princely state of Patiala. It continued after independence, when the princely states in the region were reorganised into the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU).
The movement, later renamed the PEPSU Muzhara movement, saw the participation of 784 villages in the region, from modern-day Patiala, Barnala, Mansa, Sangrur, Bathinda, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, and Jind (now in Haryana). Here is what to know about the movement and its significance.
Who were the muzharas?
The muzharas were landless tenant farmers seeking ownership rights on the land they had cultivated for generations. The British also forced some small farmers to surrender the land they owned and work as muzharas.
According to Kulwant Singh Kishangarh, state secretary of BKU Dakaunda (Manjit Dhaner faction), muzharas were targeted by an oppressive feudal system that involved the participation of the landlords of the village.
“Before independence, every village had biswedars (landlords) who lived in havelis and were known as ‘sardars’,” he recalled. “They took one-third of the produce from the land cultivated by muzharas and small farmers. The biswedars, in turn, gave a share to the king, who further paid revenue to the British. This system left the peasantry in slavery and exploitation, preventing them from enjoying the full benefits of their labour.”
Even after independence, the biswedars continued demanding their share, but the movement intensified. By 1952, land reforms were implemented, finally granting ownership rights to tenant farmers.
As the movement gained strength after independence, groups of activists within the muzharas began protecting tenant farmers. Many even carried weapons to defend themselves.
Why is March 19 significant for the movement?
In March 1949, biswedars attempted to reclaim land cultivated by muzharas. However, they ran into stiff resistance in Kishangarh village, which would become immortalised as a centre of resistance. Over the month, the muzharas drove out landlords, harvested sugarcane, produced jaggery, and stored it for their own use, while preparing for retaliation from the PEPSU administration. Many muzharas from nearby villages gathered in Kishangarh to lend numbers to the movement.
As the Patiala police intervened, a standoff with the Kishangarh muzharas led to the death of one police officer on March 17. As many as 35 muzharas were arrested and charged with the murder, but all were acquitted by February 1950, following the continued efforts of the Muzhara Movement leaders. Things came to a head on March 19 when the army surrounded the village, resulting in a violent confrontation where four muzharas were killed.
March 19 became a symbolic day, and from 1953 onward, it was observed annually to commemorate the struggle.
This movement produced several important leaders, including: Jagir Singh Joga – A key organiser who mobilised tenant farmers and led resistance against landlords.
Buta Singh – A prominent activist fighting for land rights and redistribution.
Teja Singh Sutantar – A revolutionary associated with various peasant movements in Punjab, supporting the Muzhara movement.
Sewa Singh Thikriwala – Though involved in earlier anti-princely rule struggles, his ideology influenced the Muzhara movement.
Bhai Jodh Singh – An activist who helped spread awareness and strengthen the movement.
Farmer union leaders have recalled the Muzhara Movement as a symbol of resistance. “Our history shows our resilience against injustice. Farmers did not fear the British and will not bow before any government now. We will always fight for our demands,” said Jagmohan Singh Patiala, general secretary of BKU Dakaunda (Buta Singh Burjgill faction).
How is the day observed?
Earlier, a three-day conference would be organised in Kishangarh village of Mansa district attracting farmers from the surrounding villages. The Communist Party of India (CPI) led the organisational efforts for the conference.
Participants travelled on bicycles and carts to attend the event, while villagers sewed their own flags, painted slogans on walls, and made preparations in advance. Kishangarh, a long-time resident who shares his name with the village, recounted how the conference itself turned into a meeting of loved ones: Friends and relatives gathered to listen to speeches and reconnect with each other, while married daughters visited their parents during this week.
Over the last two decades, the event has been reduced to a single-day conference on March 19. The conference is now organised by the CPI with the participation of other farmers’ unions. The conference this year will be attended by participants from the BKU Dakaunda (Manjit Dhaner faction), Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, Kisan wings of CPI and CPI(M), BKU Lakhowal, BKU Kadian and others. All these unions are part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).
The entry gate of Kishangarh village bears an inscription: “Muzhara Lehar de Shaheedan di Yaad Nu Samarpit” (Dedicated to the Martyrs of the Muzhara Movement). A memorial and hall have also been built in the village on one kanal of land, formerly a biswedar haveli. After the landlords fled, the haveli was demolished in the early 2000s, and the memorial was constructed with local effort, Kulwant Singh Kishangarh told The Indian Express.
