Farmers’ protest: 333 days & 600 deaths later, stir still strong

BATHINDA: Having weathered hail, rain, blazing heat and even bone-chilling cold over the past 333 days, the farmers’ protest against the three central farm laws is till going strong right at the doorstep of the national capital. There is not even a hint of any let-up in intensity.
Farmers said though more than 600 activists died during the protests, they were going to stay put on the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders of Delhi till the Centre repealed the three contentious farm laws.Protests on the Delhi borders will complete 11 months on Tuesday. On November 26, 2020, farmers from Punjab had reached Singhu and Tikri borders after a showdown with Haryana Police. Ever since, they have been staying there.
Farm groups have also put into motion Mission Uttar Pradesh, a campaign aimed at ensuring BJP does not come to power in the populous state. The struggle has been facing propaganda unleashed by the ruling party, said activists. In West Bengal elections too, farm activists had campaigned against the BJP. The success of a kisan mahapanchayat at Muzzafarnagar in the past and a plan to hold another mahapanchayat in Lucknow on November 22 has added to the ruling party’s woes, claimed protesters. “A lot of conspiracies are being hatched to break the protest, but farmers are vigilant and countering these. The lynching of a person by Nihang Sikhs at Singhu border, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar making claims that many farm organisations are in favour of the laws and struggle will die down soon, and lately claims by a group of Punjab former CM Amarinder Singh that they were in touch with top leaders of farm groups and the struggle will end soon, are all part of the controversies to deflect attention and cause dissensions in farmers’ unity,” said Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Darshan Pal. SKM, a grouping of farm unions, is spearheading the agitation.
Farmers said they expected more such things (attempts to break the stir) in future. They said the BJP government in Haryana had been doing this already, either by asking certain groups of people to demand the road to Delhi be vacated or asking its activists to prepare groups of up to 1,000 persons to attack the protesters.
BKU (Ekta Dakaunda) general secretary Jagmohan Singh said in the past 11 months, numerous examples had come to fore showcasing the efforts of the government to weaken the mandi system while forcing farmers to indulge into a distress sale of various commodities with no support from the government. “This open loot to benefit corporates has necessitated the need for giving a guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for every commodity to every farmer; this demand is inseparable from the demand for repeal of farm laws,” he added.
The killing of 4 farmers at Tikunia village in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, while opposing BJP leaders, has further firmed up the resolve to fight, said BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan, who is at the forefront of the farmers’ struggle. “We will keep fighting till the end without any remorse. The farmers struggle is not an ordinary protest, but a pathbreaking one which has shown to the world how one only needs determination to take on mighty governments,” said Ugrahan.
Bangar farmers to cordon off offices
The farmers from Haryana’s Bangar belt will cordon key offices in various subdivisions of Jind and Kaithal districts from 11am to 3pm level on Tuesday when the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) marks 11 months of its agitation. They complain of being paid below the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy and bajra, while they ask for loss assessment after pink bollworm destroyed their cotton crop.
SKM: Min proved fertiliser shortage
The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has said the admission by Union minister for agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar about fertiliser shortage in the country is a clear reflection of mismanagement by the Narendra Modi government. There have been numerous protests and even looting of fertiliser bags reported from different parts.