Farmers Movement Archive

Naresh Tikait, Charuni sons address rally

RANJITPUR (YAMUNANAGAR): With senior leaders of Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) busy addressing back-to-back panchayats in other states, sons of farm unionists Naresh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni took the protest stage in Yamunanagar district on Sunday along with youth farm activist Navdeep Singh, who has been hailed by protesters as a hero of the ‘Dilli Chalo’ movement When farmers from Punjab were entering Haryana on November 27, Navdeep had made way for the protesters by climbing atop a water cannon, stopping it and then jumping back on to a tractor-trolley. Gaurav Tikait, son of Uttar Pradesh farm leader Naresh Tikait; Harshpal Singh Charuni, son of Charuni; and Navdeep addressed a panchayat under the banner of ‘Sanyukta Kisan Majdoor Morcha’ at new grain market in Ranjitpur village of Bilaspur sub-division in Yamunanagar. The trio said farmers will not return home until the Centre’s laws are repealed and a law is made to guarantee minimum support price (MSP). Thousands of farmers attended the panchayat at Ranjitpur. Atul Kumar Anjan, who was a member of National Commission on Farmers (famously known as Swaminathan commission), also addressed the rally. Gaurav said, “The central government is not serious. It has not done anything that has been demanded by farmers, but it is making policies arbitrarily. In the movement, you will have to keep an eye on the power of the country along with your farm; this fight is between the sannyasi (monk) and the satyanashi (destructive) government. Farmers will not return to their homes until the black laws are repealed and a law to guarantee MSP is made by the government.” Gaurav paid tribute to farmers who died in the agitation. “We will have to keep their sacrifices in mind,” he said. Harshpal said, “This struggle is of farmers, labourers and of every section, who are connected to the country’s soil. We have to take care that this movement continues until the laws are repealed. Due to anti-people policies of the present government, every section of society is worried, and farmers and labourers will have to give a befitting reply to the conspiracies being done against them in the coming elections.” Navdeep of Jalbera in Ambala addressed the gathering in Puadhi Punjabi (dialect spoken between Satluj and Ghaggar areas in Punjab and Haryana, including Chandigarh). “We want to ask PM Modi where are the two crore jobs which were promised by him before coming to power? Today, a large number of government sector organisations have been privatised. Youth will give a befitting reply in the coming days,” he said. BKU (Tikait) Haryana state president Rattan Mann said, “All farmers should obey the instructions given by SKM. No call has been given to destroy crops; therefore, farmers should not mow down crops with tractors. There should be a kheti hartal (farming strike) in the entire country.” The panchayat was organised by Matlub Saravan, Noor Mohammad, Jora Singh, Hoshiar Singh, Sultan Singh, Mehtab and Sanju Gundiana district president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Charuni), and leaders of BKU (Tikait).

The Times of India

2021-03-01

Chandigarh