PEPSU Muzhara Movement

Context

The PEPSU Muzara Movement was a significant agrarian struggle in Punjab during the mid-20th century. It aimed to secure land ownership rights for tenant farmers, known as Muzhara, who had been exploited under the feudal system of landlords (biswedars) and princely rulers. This movement played a pivotal role in dismantling oppressive land tenancy systems and empowering marginalized farmers in the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU).

Historical Background

The biswedari System

• Introduced by the Maharaja of Patiala in the late 19th century, the biswedari system established landlords (biswedars) as local authorities who controlled vast tracts of land.
• The original landowners were reduced to tenant farmers (Muzharas), forced to pay batai (half of their crop yield) to landlords.
• This system led to widespread exploitation, with farmers working under conditions akin to slavery, as their produce was passed on to landlords, the Maharaja, and British colonial authorities.

Early Resistance

• Tenant farmers began resisting this system during the 1920s through movements like Akali and Praja Mandal.
• The Riyasti Praja Mandal, formed in 1927 under Sewa Singh Thikriwala, organized tenants to stop paying batai and initiated protests against feudal oppression.

The Emergence of the Muzara Movement

Goals and Objectives

• The movement aimed to secure hereditary ownership rights for tenant farmers who had tilled the land for generations.
• It sought democratic reforms to abolish feudal practices and ensure equitable distribution of land.

Key Events

• 1930s: Beginning of Resistance
• • Farmers refused to surrender their crops to landlords and faced severe retaliation from feudal authorities.

• • Armed groups of 30–40 people emerged to protect tenant farmers from landlord attacks.
• 1948: Post-Independence Struggles
  • After Independence, PEPSU province was formed, comprising 784 villages under Patiala Riyasat.

• • The Maharaja ordered one-third of village lands to be allocated to landlords, sparking widespread protests.
• March 19, 1949: Kishangarh Incident
  • At Kishangarh village in Mansa district, security forces clashed with protesting farmers, killing four farmers, a policeman, and a patwari (land revenue official).
  • This tragic event became a turning point in the movement and symbolized farmer resistance against feudalism.

Role of Leaders

Teja Singh Sutantar

• A revolutionary leader who played a key role in mobilizing tenant farmers during the movement.
• Sutantar was instrumental in organizing protests across villages and advocating for agrarian reforms.

Praja Mandal Leaders

• Sewa Singh Thikriwala, Bhagwan Singh Longowalia, and Jagir Singh Joga led grassroots efforts to unite tenant farmers against landlords.

Outcome of the Movement

Legislative Reforms

• PEPSU Tenancy Act (1952):
  • Enacted by the Congress ministry following recommendations from an Agrarian Reforms Committee.

• • Allowed tenant farmers to become landowners by paying compensation equivalent to twelve times the annual land revenue.
• Abolition of biswedari System:
  • The oppressive landlord system was dismantled, granting ownership rights to thousands of tenant farmers.

Impact on Farmers

• Farmers gained control over their lands, ending decades of exploitation and slavery-like conditions.
• The movement inspired subsequent struggles for agrarian justice in India.

Conclusion

The PEPSU Muzara Movement exemplifies how collective action can challenge entrenched systems of oppression. By securing land ownership rights for tenant farmers, it laid the foundation for agrarian reforms in post-Independence India. Its legacy continues to inspire movements advocating for social justice and equitable resource distribution.

Source: The Indian Express

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q. With reference to the PEPSU Muzara Movement, consider the following statements:

1. It was a peasant movement against the high land revenue demands of the British government. 
2. The movement primarily took place in the princely state of Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). 
3. The Muzaras were tenant farmers who demanded land ownership rights.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3

Ans- B

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