Farmers Movement Archive

More villages pass resolution to join farmers’ protest

Ludhiana: There were many who had thought that the farmers’ agitation would fizzle out post the violence during the tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day, but farmers across Punjab, including those from Ludhiana, have managed to dispel all those thoughts with their never-say-die approach. The mobilization drive in many villages in Ludhiana district suggested that more farmers have started going to the dharna site near Delhi borders. Many villages in the district have passed resolution asking the villagers to fully support the farmers sitting on protests near Delhi borders and become a part of the agitation. “We are getting tremendous support from the village panchayats in Samrala as many of them have passed resolutions asking the villagers to move towards the dharna sites to support the farmers. On Friday night, we got 50 farmers from villages in Samrala and the number is expected to increase in the coming days. The number at dharna sites is expected to increase drastically in coming days,” said Sanjok Singh, Samrala president of Lok Chetna Lehar, a social organisation that is part of farmers’ mobilization programme. Talking to TOI from Kundli border, he said, “The agitation may have had a setback, but there is more enthusiasm among the farmers now as compared to mood in the past few days.” He alleged that the government’s cruelty acted as a catalyst for the extensive support to the farmers’ agitation. Mobilization drives are in full swing in several villages in Jagraon area. “Two days ago, a local youth club, which is sending farmers to the protest site, carried out a tractor rally in the village and asked villagers to move towards Delhi border in groups. A bus, carrying around 50 farmers including me, is on the way to the dharna site. We will continue to go to the Delhi borders to support our brothers till these laws are not repealed,” said Maha Singh of Chakar village. A prominent villager from Chakar, Chamkaur Singh, whose son Kamaljit Singh also left for Tikri border on the same bus, said buses carrying farmers have also left from Dalla, Kaunke, Malla. A cavalcade from Kaunke also started from the village on Saturday. He said jathas (group of people) from many other villages would also leave for the dharna sites in the coming days. “Everywhere announcements are being made to strengthen the farmers’ agitation,” he said. Meanwhile, many villages in Samrala have passed resolution lending support to farmers’ agitation. “We passed a resolution on Friday wherein we extended full support to the ongoing agitation. We decided that five persons from village will go to the dharna site after every three days to support our brothers sitting on a protest on Delhi borders. We will continue to fight peacefully till the government doesn’t repeal these farm laws,” said Avtar Singh, sarpanch of Samaspur Diwala village in Samrala. He said village panchayats in Dhindsa, Barma, Bondal and Mushkabad have also passed similar resolutions. Box: Morale booster Mushkabad was the first village in Samrala where a panchayat decided to move a jatha (group) to Delhi to boost “morale” of farmers in the aftermath of violence in Delhi. Malwinder Singh, sarpanch of Mushkabad, had confirmed that they held a meeting of villagers on Thursday and decided to send one member from each family in the village to Delhi border to motivate the farmers. He said if any family doesn’t obey to this decision, they will have to pay Rs 1,500 as expenditure for travel of that person as penalty.

The Times of India

2021-01-31

Ludhiana