RECLAIMING THE TILLER: MARXIST MOBILIZATION, INTERSECTIONAL RESISTANCE, AND THE LEGACY OF THE MAZDOOR KISSAN MOVEMENT IN NORTHERN HASHTNAGAR CHARSADDA

Abstract

This research provides a comprehensive analysis of the Mazdoor Kissan Movement (MKM), a seminal peasant-led agrarian uprising that emerged in 1968 in North Hashtnagar Charsadda, Pakistan. Situating the movement within a historical continuum of exploitation, the study traces how British colonial land policies dismantled traditional egalitarian structures, such as the Sheikh Milli system, to install a loyalist "Khan Bahadur" landlord class. These interventions converted customary tenure into private property, facilitating systemic feudal oppression characterized by exorbitant taxes, forced labor, and profound alienation. Employing a qualitative research design and stratified random sampling of households across landlord, peasant, and laborer strata, the paper explores the MKM’s evolution through multiple theoretical lenses, including Marxist class conflict, Maoist ideology, and intersectionality. The findings detail the movement's progression from formative mobilization and violent confrontations—such as the 1971 Mandani clashes and 1972 Malakand fight—to the institutionalization of Kissan Jirgas as a viable alternative to the state-run legal system. A central contribution of the study is the documentation of the revolutionary role of women, who acted as a "leaden wall" against state forces and landlords. Despite facing double oppression based on both class and gender, women participated in armed combat and logistical operations, significantly contributing to the movement’s survival. Furthermore, the research examines the MKM’s success in resolving internal class tensions between tenant farmers and landless laborers through joint committees and redistributive principles. The paper argues that while national land security remains elusive, the MKM successfully abolished primitive feudal practices, increased political awareness, and transformed marginalized peasants into active political stakeholders. Ultimately, the Hashtnagar movement serves as a globally significant case study of how radical grassroots organizations can challenge systemic feudalism and reclaim human dignity.