Weeding out Congress and BJP: Farmers’ battle beyond politics

In the heart of rural Maharashtra, a bizarre uprising is underway. Farmers, armed not with votes or slogans but with hoes and herbicides, have declared an all-out war against Congress and BJP—only, this battle isn’t about politics. It’s about weeds. Yes, weeds! The Congress weed (Parthenium hysterophorus), which once ruled the fields with its stubborn white blossoms, has been dethroned, only for the BJP weed (Alternanthera sessilis) to swoop in and stage a hostile takeover. “Forget politicians,” quips farmer Eknath Patil, “we’re stuck fighting the Congress and BJP every day in our fields!”

For decades, farmers fought to rid their lands of the infamous Congress weed, whose white flowers once drew comparisons to the Gandhi caps of the Indian National Congress. Like the party it was named after, the weed spread unchecked across rural India, choking the life out of fertile soil. The weed has serious impact on human health, and consumption by livestock can cause tainted meat. It can cause marked decrease in crop production, destroy grasslands and pastures, and degrade natural ecosystems. 

Congress weed

It is a widely held belief that the seeds of this weed came to India with grains imported from USA under the US PL 480 scheme, also known as ‘Food for Peace’ which is a food assistance programme of the US government. The farmers triumphed, or so they thought, as they gradually pushed back this unwanted guest.

New Invader

But their victory was short-lived. Another invader crept in, stronger, tougher, and more resistant—the Alternanthera sessilis, now infamously known as the BJP weed. “This weed is everywhere,” laments Eknath Patil, a weary farmer from Ahilyanagar. “It has spread like wildfire since the 1980s, occupying our fields and ruining our livelihoods. No matter what we do, it won’t die. It’s as unyielding as the BJP in politics, and that’s why we call it BJP weed.”

Althernanthra sessilis commonly called as sessile joyweed and dwarf copperleaf is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is used as a vegetable in some Asian countries. In certain regions of Southeast Asia, the leaves and young shoots are consumed as vegetables in some states in India, the leaves, flowers and tender stems are consumed as vegetables. It proliferates in fields affecting growths of crops.  

Agri researcher Sominath Gholwe says that the BJP weed is growing fast in sugarcane, cotton and soya fields and is harmful for these crops. “ Even animals don’t eat after spikes become sharper. As of now burning this weed is the only option farmers have” 

Battle against Congress and BJP

The irony is not lost on these farmers. They remember how Congress weed overran their lands, only to be replaced by the BJP weed—a cycle of occupation and devastation. “We don’t want Congress or BJP here,” they say with a wry smile, their voices tinged with frustration and defiance. “Both have destroyed us” adds, Rahul More.

The battle against these weeds is fierce. Herbicides fail to kill them; flames only delay their return. Like their political namesakes, these weeds adapt, endure, and spread. The BJP weed, in particular, is a farmer’s nightmare, thriving even in the harshest conditions, its grip tightening on once-thriving farmlands.

Prashant Shinde, a young farmer says, “Be it Congress or BJP, farmers have suffered under the rules and the names given to weeds by farmers also reflect their sentiments towards these parties”.