Farmers Movement Archive

In Kurukshetra, farmers resolve to continue agitation

With a resolve to not let the agitation against the Centre’s farm laws lose its steam, scores of farmers, including women, elderly and youth, on Tuesday gathered at a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ at Haryana’s Gumthala Garhu village in Kurukshetra district. The farmers reiterated that they would continue their protests, be it at the borders of Delhi or across the State. On his way to the ‘mahapanchayat’, 72-year-old farmer Ujaghar Singh told The Hindu that the government at the Centre was “power drunk”, but the unity of farmers would demolish their arrogance. “We are going to the ‘mahapanchayat’ to show our unity. We will not step back until the farm laws are repealed,” said Mr. Singh, who owns two acres in Thol village. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, addre-ssing the gathering, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jibe of “ aandolan jeevi ”. “They are saying in Parliament that they [protesters] are parjeevis . I want to ask them was Bhagat Singh, who laid his life for the country, a parjeevi ? Around 150 farmers have so far died during the ongoing agitation, were they parjeevis ?” he asked. Mr. Tikait said attempts were being made to divide farmers on the basis of region and religions. “They will attempt to divide you on Punjab-Haryana lines, as Sikh and non-Sikh, Hindus and Muslims. We have to be careful. When we stay united, I assure you we will win the battle,” he said, adding that the agitation was nationwide and not limited to just Punjab or Haryana. Mr. Tikait said all the 40 farmer unions spearheading the agitation were united and their leaders would together tour the country in the coming days to expose the government’s “wrong” policies.

The Hindu

2021-02-10

GUMTHALA GARHU