Farmers Movement Archive

2k women take out procession in US Nagar in support of protesting farmers at Delhi borders

Rudrapur: Over 2,000 women, along with their children, gathered at Gurudwara Green Park on Kashipur Road on Friday holding tricolours and flags of the Samyuk Kisan Morcha (SKM) in solidarity with farmers agitating at various Delhi borders against the Centre’s agri reform laws. The protesters also raised slogans in support of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait. Octogenarian Jasbir Kaur, one of the protesters, said, “Even if we have to leave our homes and join farmers at Ghazipur, we will not fall back.” “The Modi government should be ashamed of persecuting farmers who have been protesting peacefully for the past two months,” said Gurwinder Kaur, another participant in the procession. The protesters marched on a 4-km route passing through Gava Chowk, Galla Mandi, Bhagat Singh Chowk and the city's main market, before culminating the march at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Park. Surmukh Singh Virk, a farmer leader from Bigwara village, said, “Rakesh Tikait was reduced to tears due to atrocities of a fascist government on the farmer community. Even though some vacated the space a day before, more and more farmers from Terai will be returning to Ghazipur border.” Speaking to TOI over the phone from Ghazipur border, Jagtar Bajwa, the spokesperson of the ‘Kisan Andolan Committee Ghazipur’ said, “We will not let the movement end till our last breath. We can tell a big conspiracy is underway against farmers but we will not concede defeat. We are not scared of being booked under sections of the IPC. The more they oppress us, the stronger our movement will become.” President of Terai Kisan Mahasabha Tejender Singh Virk said he believes the violence at the January 26 tractor-trolley rally was instigated by those looking to malign the farmers’ movement. “The government must have realised they cannot make peaceful protesters leave but violence would give them that opportunity. After our leader Tikait’s emotional appeal, Terai farmers have started showing up at the Ghazipur protest site. There are 5,000 agitators from Terai there at present. We hope the number will increase to 15,000 by Saturday morning.”

The Times of India

2021-01-30

Dehradun