Punjabi University to study, document farmers' protest

Patiala, April 8

After the merger of its Department of Punjab Historical Studies and the Department of History, Punjabi University will now study and document the farmers’ protest on Delhi borders. University officials said they would study it from the historical, socio-political and economical aspects and would come up with a detailed report this year.

The departments were recently merged as per the university’s Syndicate decision held on March 29. Head of the new department of History and Punjab Historical Studies, Daljit Singh said the project would focus on the financial, socio-political implications of the protest and also compare it with the protest of ‘Pagri Sambhal Jatta’ movement in 1907.

The Punjab Historical Studies Department has already carried out research and publications on travels of Guru Nanak, printed rare handwritten documents, printed four volumes of contribution of Punjab to the Indian Freedom Struggle, translated and printed books of Sikh history written in Persian and Urdu into Punjabi among others. The department is also working on publishing the role of Punjab in 1857 revolt, and on the significant Kuka movement.

Head of the department, Daljit Singh, said, “We will study the important historical farmers’ protest from possible financial, historical and political angles. Therefore, the department’s oral history cell has been tasked with reading and researching various aspects of the protest, speeches and documents prepared as part of it. We will look into how the protest affected the finances and lives of farmers and will compare it with the 1907 protest. We will look at it from political aspects as well.”

He said for this, the university’s departments—Department of History and Punjab Historical Studies, Department of Economics will work on it in unison. “We expect the project to commence within April and come to completion by year end.

The university is also working on the financial aspect of carrying out the project.