Extending their support to the agitating farmers, several former sportspersons including Padma Shri and Arjuna awardees on Tuesday said that they will return their awards in protest against the “force” used against the peasants’ en route to Delhi.
Among them are Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee wrestler Kartar Singh, Arjuna awardee basketball player Sajjan Singh Cheema and Arjuna awardee hockey player Rajbir Kaur.
They announced that they will proceed to Delhi on December 5 and will place their awards outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
At the same time, they also slammed the Centre and Haryana Government for using water cannons and teargas against the protesting farmers to stop them from going to Delhi.
“We are the children of farmers, and they have been holding peaceful agitation for the last several months. Not even a single incident of violence took place. But water cannons and teargas shells were used against them when they were going to Delhi. If turbans of our elders and brothers are tossed, then what will we do with our awards and honour? We are in support of our farmers. We do not want such awards and that is why we are returning the same,” said Cheema.
Notably, farmers had faced water cannons and teargas when they were heading towards the national capital as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march against the farm laws.
Kartar Singh said that several former players will go to Delhi on December 5 and will return their awards.
“If the farmers do not want such laws, why the Central Government was imposing on them,” asked Singh, who has retired as Inspector General in the Punjab Police.
He added that the former players would also join farmers’ stir at the Delhi borders on December 5. “We are also trying to contact former players in Haryana for coming out in support of farmers’ agitation,” he added. Cheema said that several former players including Kaur and Arjuna awardee (shotput) Balwinder Singh have backed them.