Punjabi farmers want the urbanites to rally round them in their fight against the Centre’s three new agriculture legislations.
In an appeal to the city dwellers, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee state’s general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher has requested them to participate in the farmers’ protests against the farm bills on Sunday at their nearest protest site, besides shunning the ‘brand culture’.
“I request my all brothers leaving in towns and cities to come out in our support and participate in dharnas on Sunday along with your families at any nearest protest site because this is a long drawn battle against the powers and we can fight it out if we all get together,” said Pandher.
In another appeal on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi’s Swadeshi movement, Pandher asked the urban populace to “leave wearing brands”.
“I request all of you to stop wearing all these brands. Stop using their products because only then we will succeed in our battle against the corporate houses,” he said while speaking in behalf of the state farmers.
At the same time, he appealed the people to burn the effigies of ‘Corporate Ravans’ this Dussehra to send across a strong messages to the corporate houses.
Also accusing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of bowing before the World Trade Organization (WTO), Pandher asked him to not surrender to the international trade body “if you are the strongest Prime Minister. In fact, the Prime Minister should take back the three new farm bills”.
Declaring that the ongoing agitation would be intensified in the coming days, he insisted that the Prime Minister should himself hold talks with the farmers organizations and the main agenda for these talks should be to take back these laws.
“The Prime Minister should listen to bharat…He should listen to what we are saying…I appeal him not to bow before the WTO and listen to the kisan,” he said adding that the Central Government should review and take the decision in the farmers’ favour.
Sharing the same views, Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal said that the Centre should listen to the concerns of the farmers.
“The government should call us by extending a proper invite and listen to our concerns.
Not only farmers, but so many parties are opposed to these laws, which means there is something controversial on which a discussion should be held…They should call us on some official forum,” he said.
Pal said that either the Prime Minister can hold talks or “they can form a parliamentary group or authorize some Group of Ministers to discuss things. They should consider these voices of protest from Punjab, Haryana and other parts”.
Notably, various farmers’ organizations are continuing their ‘rail roko’ agitation against the farm laws across Punjab blocking the rail tracks at 33 places. Protesting farmers have also staged sit-ins outside several petrol pumps, toll plazas and shopping malls owned by Reliance Group, besides outside the houses of state BJP leaders.
PUNJAB FARMERS HOLD 2-HOUR ‘’CHAKKA JAM’’ AGAINST POLICE ACTION ON FARM LAW PROTESTERS IN SIRSA
Farmer organizations held a two-hour ‘’chakka jam’’ (road blockade) in parts of Punjab on Friday to protest the use of water cannons and tear gas by the Haryana Police during a stir in Sirsa against the new farm laws.
Protesting farmers blocked highways and some other roads in the state, causing disruption in vehicular movement, though officials said traffic was diverted to alternative routes at many places.
“The national highways and some other roads remained blocked during the two-hour ‘chakka jam’ from 12 pm to 2 pm. However, ambulances and other vehicles having any kind of emergency were allowed to pass,” said Darshan Pal.
He said that the farmers also held dharnas at various toll plazas in the state. “We were protesting the police action against farmers in Sirsa, Haryana. They were not allowed to protest, water cannons and tear gas was used, and later, they were evicted from the site,” he added.
A farmer protesting near a toll plaza in Ludhiana hit out at the Centre, saying, “It does not understand the pain of the farmers. Our colleagues were protesting in Sirsa against the farm laws, but their voice was suppressed.
“The Central Government claims that these laws are for our benefit, but they must understand if farmers are unhappy, what is the worth of these legislations then,” he asked.
Farmers protesting in Amritsar and in Hoshiarpur’s Tanda said that the new farm laws will not only “hit them but labourers and small shopkeepers too will be impacted”. A protest was held near the Shambhu border, blocking the national highway towards Ambala.
Haryana Police had on Tuesday used water cannons and tear gas to disperse agitating farmers, who tried to cross barricades and proceed towards the residences of Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and his grand uncle and Power Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala in Sirsa located barely 200 metres from the protest site.
The farmers were seeking resignations of Dushyant Chautala, a JJP leader, and Ranjit Singh Chautala, an independent legislator, from the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the recently enacted farm legislations.