Farmers Movement Archive

No more mahapanchayats in Haryana, Punjab: Charuni

With crowds thinning at the Singhu and Tikri borders, farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni today announced there would be no more mahapanchayats in Haryana and Punjab.He said farmers from the two states would rather be asked to take turns and reach the borders to attend dharna.‘Gherao cops if they come to arrest you’Ambala: Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni on Friday asked the farmers to gherao Delhi Police personnel, if they come to arrest any person in villages and not to release them until the district administration officials come and assure that they won’t come again. However, he also asked the farmers not to beat the policemen and keep them without any harm. He stated this in a video. TNS“There is no use of holding mahapanchayats as the basic purpose of these events is to make farmers aware of the contentious farm laws. Farmers here already know enough about this issue. We will hold mahapanchayats in other states whenever warranted,” Charuni said while talking to The Tribune today.SKM to celebrate ‘Pagdi Sambhal’ Day on Feb 23Sonepat: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Friday announced to celebrate ‘Pagdi Sambhal Day’ on February 23. The day will be celebrated in memory of Ajit Singh, uncle of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and the founder of the ‘Pagdi Sambhal’ movement. TNSHe said farmers from Haryana and Punjab would reach the Singhu and Tikri border only on a rotating basis as the harvesting of rabi crop was around the corner.Asked whether mahapanchayats in the state would be stopped forthwith or those already announced would be held as per schedule, Charuni said if an event had already been announced, the organisers could go ahead with the plan. “But there would be no more such rallies,” said the farmer leader.Rattan Mann, state president of the BKU headed by the Tikait brothers, however, said farmers’ bodies were getting huge response in mahapanchayats and there was no question of discontinuing these events.“BKU leader Rakesh Tikait is to address a mahapanchayat at Kharkhoda in Sonepat on February 22. Another such event was announced today at Yamunanagar for February 28,” said Mann. He said mahapanchayats had provided a new lease of life to the farmers’ agitation and there was no question of discontinuing these events.Farmers in the Jat heartland of Haryana had started holding mahapanchayats after Rakesh Tikait’s emotional outburst at Ghazipur in the aftermath of the January 26 tractor parade. Meanwhile, some political observers are viewing Charuni’s announcement as a counter move to stop Tikait’s growing popularity among farmers in Haryana.

The Tribune

2021-02-20

Chandigarh