Farmers Movement Archive

Ludhiana: Farmers up the ante, burn effigies, copies of farm bills

Farmers upped the ante against the farm bills passed by the Union cabinet and staged protests at several villages in the district on Monday.Protesting under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Lakhowal, the farmers burned effigies, including that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with a copy of three farm bills at Lakhowal village. Similar protests will also be held in different villages in the coming days, they said.BKU general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said, “Protests were organised by farmers in different villages including Chaukiman in Jagraon village, Jassowal near Dehlon among other areas of Khanna, Samrala, etc. The Union government is doing injustice to farmers and we will not let that happen. Similar protests would also be held in the coming days and a large number of farmers would participate in the statewide protest to be held on September 25.”Meanwhile, different kisan unions conducted meetings with different sectors to seek their support for the statewide protests.BKU Rajewal president, Balbir Singh Rajewal said, “Apart from conducting meetings with farmers, we are also conducting meetings with different sectors and traders’ associations. Transporters have already extended their support to farmers and we expect that markets would also remain shut during the statewide protest on September 25.”He said, “The Centre claims that the ordinances passed by the Union cabinet are not against farmers. By making such statements they are befooling farmers. A meeting of different farmers union would also be held on Wednesday wherein we would also contemplate further action plans.”Congress MLA holds protest by selling ‘pakoras’To express their solidarity with farmers, Congress MLAs and leaders organised protests in their respective constituencies on Monday.While participating in a protest held at Phullanwal chowk, MLA (Gill), Kuldeep Vaid took a dig at PM Modi by preparing and distributing tea and fritters (pakoras) among participants.Slamming the Centre over the farm ordinances, Vaid said that farmers would be left with no other option than to sell tea and pakoras to earn a livelihood.Protests were also staged in different villages of Dakha constituency wherein political secretary to CM, Captain Sandeep Sandhu also took part. Mayor Balkar Sandhu, MLA Surinder Dawar and MLA Sanjay Talwar and other party workers staged protests in Ludhiana west, central and east constituency respectively.

Hindustan Times

21-09-2020

City