Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab: Farmers defy lockdown, shopkeepers stay away

BATHINDA: Acting on a call given by 32 farm organisations of Punjab, protesting farmers openly defied the weekend lockdown on Saturday by coming on the roads in large numbers and taking out protest marches. However, shopkeepers stayed away from opening shops despite assurances by farmers of standing by them. Protests were held at nearly 200 places across the state, separately by activists of 30 farm organisations, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU). The 30 farm organisations held protests at 120 places across the state, whereas BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) held protests at 87 towns and mandis in 15 districts of the state. At some places, they also joined protesters from 30 farm organisations. At Baghapurana town of Moga district, farmers gheraoed a police station when they found that a cop had filmed an open shop for issuing challan. Farmers raised slogans against the police and made the cop apologise. At Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district, farmers raised slogans against police for a cop issuing challan to two cart vendors. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan and PKMU general secretary Lachman Sewewala said it had been over a year since Covid started raising its head in the country, but governments failed in creating infrastructure to deal with the situation. “In this year, doctors, paramedical staff, beds, ventilators and oxygen could not be arranged in adequate strength due to which people have to spend huge amounts on treatment in private hospitals. The governments, instead of making arrangements, are using lockdown as the only remedy due to which poor and small shopkeepers are facing the heat,” he said. BKU (Ekta Dakaunda) vice-president Manjit Singh Dhaner said the poor were being forced to pay for the inefficiency of the government. “With the lockdown, a large population of the country will not earn anything. Going by it, we are opposing and defying the lockdown,” he said.

The Times of India

2021-05-09

Amritsar