Farmers Movement Archive

10 Sadhus at Singhu border continue Monday’s hunger strike against farm laws

A group of 10 sadhus (ascetics) from across states have continued to fast at the Singhu border in protest against the Centre’s three new farm laws, even after the planned day-long hunger strike of leaders of all farmer organisations at the four Delhi borders – Singhu, Tikri, UP Gate and Chilla – culminated on Monday evening itself. The men, affiliated with the Bharatiya Sadhu Samaj, said they have given the central government a 10-day-ultimatum to decide on the protesting farmers’ demands to roll back the three new laws, after which they will begin a “fast until death.”“If the government fails to fulfil the demands of the farmers in these 10 days, we will begin our indefinite fast until death. This is our fourth day of the hunger strike. We are only surviving on water and lemon juice. After the 10-day deadline, we will quit that as well,” said Mahant Jasveer Das, general secretary of Bharatiya Sadhu Samaj, from Punjab.Claiming that their hunger strike is to stop cases of farmers’ suicides, Das said, “More farmers, mainly the younger generations, will die by suicide if the three new farm laws are not scrapped.”Wearing a green headscarf and sitting next to Das in the tent, Mahant Arjun Arya from Madhya Pradesh said none of the members of the organisation knew each other when they had first arrived at Singhu border for the protest around a fortnight ago.“Our meeting was a coincidence but our objective behind coming here was the same. Although we call ourselves sadhu, all of us are first the children of farmers. If our parents (farmers) are fighting a battle for their existence, how could we remain silent?” said Arya.According to Yogender Singh Panwar from Uttarakhand, initially, only five people began the hunger strike in the tent on Sunday (December 13) but the number has been increasing every passing day.“Apart from the 10 people who are present here, there at least 15 others who are farmers and are on the hunger strike with us. They visit us once or twice in a day and return to their respective tents or tractor trolleys,” said Panwar.

Hindustan Times

16-12-2020

Delhi