Farmers Movement Archive

Amid Covid storm, farm front ready to bolster stir

BATHINDA: Amid imposition of lockdowns and harsher restrictions in view of the Covid pandemic, the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha — the farm front which is spearheading the agitation against the three farm laws — has decided to mobilise more protesters to the borders of Delhi. As part of this, SKM will be launching a ‘Resistance Week’ from April 24, when the protest on Delhi borders will complete 150 days. During the week, farmers will be asked to return to protest sites in large numbers, after they are done with wheat harvesting. In the meanwhile, another farm organisation, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), has decided to send jathas (groups) of farmers to the borders of Delhi on its own on April 20 and May 5. Earlier, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) had announced to move towards Delhi borders on April 21. SKM leaders on Monday admitted to protests thinning out on the borders of Delhi due to harvesting season. They felt as harvesting was almost done, it was time for farmers to return to the protests. Morcha leader Ashish Mittal and Yogendra Yadav said BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) had already given such a call, so they decided to follow it too. KMSC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “Even though governments are trying to scare away farmers in the name of Covid or the supposed ‘Operation Clean’ for vacating protest sites, we are determined to continue protests till the central government does not repeal farm laws,” he said. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri said farmers associated with their group were ready to move towards Delhi borders on Wednesday. “Many farmers who have harvested their wheat are getting ready to move,” he said.

The Times of India

2021-04-20

Chandigarh