Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers’ unions to go ahead with protest on tractors against ordinances

Chandigarh: Despite an appeal by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to defer the protest against Centre’s farm ordinances in view of Covid-19, farmers’ unions have decided to go ahead with the plan on July 20 and park hundreds of tractors on highways. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajowal) president Balbir Singh Rajowal said it would be a symbolic three-hour protest and no inconvenience would be caused to commuters. “The chief minister had himself asked us during a meeting on the issue to get together to oppose the ordinances, but now he is asking us to drop the plan. We will also be protesting against the hike in diesel prices and amendments to electricity act,” he said. Tractors of Punjab and Haryana will be on the roads from 10am to 1pm, said Rajewal. “We have given instructions to our members to practise social distancing with only one person on a tractor. They will also wear marks. However, even states with the highest number of coronavirus cases have not issued any prohibitory orders. Governments are taking all sorts of decisions under the garb of Covid, but we are being stopped from even a peaceful protest,” he said. Some other farmers’ unions too will be participating in the protest. Harinder Singh Lakhowal, general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said it had been decided not to defer protests, but precautions would be taken to ensure there was no spread of Covid. On Wednesday, Amarinder had appealed to farmers’ unions to postpone their protests against anti-farmer ordinances of the Centre in view of restrictions. Reacting to reports that several farmers’ unions had decided to go ahead with protests despite curbs on gatherings, Amarinder urged them not to take a confrontationist approach, given that Section 144 of CrPC was in place and all gatherings were barred in the state.

The Times of India

2020-07-18

Chandigarh