Author: Pritam Singh

Pritam Singh is a Professor Emeritus at Oxford Brookes Business School, Oxford, UK. His two key publications are: Federalism, Nationalism an Development: India and the Punjab Economy, and Economy, Culture and Human Rights: Turbulence in Punjab, India and Beyond

February 26, 2021 /

Due to the historical traditions of peasant struggles in Punjab, in the current farmers’ revolt against agro-business capitalism articulated through three farms laws brought by Modi’s Hindu nationalist regime, the leaders of farmers organisations in Punjab played the leading role. It inspired first the Haryana peasantry and later the peasantry in UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and other states to join the struggle. It is now progressing to become a country wide struggle going even beyond farmers. To understand the role leadership plays in any struggle, it is important to understand the significance of the concept of the ‘vanguard’. In every egalitarian movement, there is one sector which is the most advanced and provides leadership. This sector is the vanguard. It articulates the interests, aspirations and even emotions of other rebellious sections of society.