Farmers Movement Archive

Farm laws: Despite Covid surge, more join stir

Tribune News ServiceSangrur, March 31The rise of Covid-19 cases has failed to dampen the spirit of farmers as the number of protesters opposing the central farm laws has been increasing at various protest sites in Sangrur and Barnala districts.“The Centre has been trying to hand over the country to corporate houses, but we will not allow it. Our protest here has been going on for the past 179 days. With time, the protest has gained momentum as now even children are joining us,” said Dharminder Pashore, a BKU Ugrahan leader, protesting at a petrol station at Lehal Khurd village in Sangrur.Similar turnout can be seen at another filling station near Dhanauala on the Sangrur-Barnala road, where protest has also been going on for the past 179 days.“We have not missed the protest for even a single day. Our male members are at the Delhi border, so I along with other members have been protesting here regularly,” said Bimlo at a toll plaza near Badbar on the Sangrur-Barnala road.There are others, who have been supplying milk and other essential commodities regularly to protest sites near their villages. “We have not seen dearth of milk or any other item since the beginning, as residents have been contributing generously,” said Gamdoor Singh, an elderly at the toll plaza.Asked whether they were ready to get vaccinated, they replied in the negative, saying they did not have faith in the health authorities. “We converge daily and have not seen single protesters die of Covid-19. Under the garb of pandemic, the government wants to scare us away, but it will not work,” said Balwant Singh while protesting at the Barnala railway station.

The Tribune

2021-04-01