Farmers Movement Archive

700 vehicles will leave Punjab for Tikri today

BATHINDA/PATIALA: A farmers’ caravan of at least 700 vehicles, including tractor-trolleys, cars, buses, and other means of transport, will march towards Delhi’s Tikri border on Sunday “to bolster the agitation” against the three farm laws. BKU (Ekta Ugraha) Punjab general secretary S S Kokarikalan said, “At our meeting on Saturday, we decided to give a call for a farmers’ march towards Delhi from Khanauri border. More than 10,000 farmers will reach Tikri. We will take sufficient ration with us. The gathering at Tikri border is huge, but more farmers have been asked to mobilise and reach the protest site.” He added that a large section of farmers from Sangrur, Bathinda, Mansa, Barnala, Patiala, and Moga districts will take part in the march. “This time, farmers may not move from the Dabawali border,” he said in Patiala. Meanwhile, a day after a mob pelted stones at and clashed with activists of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, which has been blamed for the January 26 violence in Delhi, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) on Saturday sent hundreds of its activists from Tikri border to Singhu to provide support to KMSC. Read AlsoCentre will appoint panel to look into farmers’ issues, Anna Hazare’s suggestionsThe Centre has decided to set up a high-powered committee headed by Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar to look into several farm issues, including minimum support price (MSP). The decision was hurriedly taken in order to prevent social activist Anna Hazare from going on his scheduledPolice, however, stopped them nearly 5km from Narela and did not allow them to proceed. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) secretary Shingara Singh Mann described this as an attempt by police to provoke farmers again. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) — one of the largest farm groups in Punjab — and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha that is spearheading the agitation had distanced themselves from KMSC after the latter was blamed for violence during the Republic Day tractor parade. Mann said they decided to help KMSC activists after they were attacked by over 150 people on Friday. On Friday, announcements were made from several village gurdwaras to reach Delhi borders after reports of farmers being attacked reached them. A large number of farmers had already reached Delhi on Friday and Saturday. Ekta Ugrahan’s support for KMSC protesters at the Delhi border came as it did not get help from activists in the SKM camp. KMSC’s camp is located only about 100 metres from SKM’s but is separated by a small area barricaded by Delhi Police.

The Times of India

2021-01-31

India