Farmers Movement Archive

Will stand by protesting farmers: Agri labourers

Bathinda: Agricultural labourers have decided to participate in the Kisan Mazdoor rally to be organised jointly by farm organisation BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) and labourer organisation Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU) in Barnala on February 21. The event has been termed as “mahapanchayat.” Labourers assembled in large numbers at Lambi on Friday to mobilise public support for the rally. Addressing the gathering, PKMU general secretary Lachman Sewewala said the farm laws introduced by the Central government will not only become a tool to snatch the land of farmers, but they will also end the public distribution system and destroy employment of agricultural labourers. Therefore, he said, labourers need to struggle to get these laws repealed. He urged agricultural labourers to participate in the rally with their families. He alleged that panchayati, shamlat and government lands will be grabbed by corporate houses and privileges of agricultural labourers like one third share in common village land and 5 marla residential plots will be wiped out. Denouncing the statement of PM Narendra Modi, labelling farmers as “andolanjivi,” he alleged that the Modi government is a traitor which is surrendering food security of the country to corporate houses and playing divisive politics with the masses. He alleged the Electricity Bill 2020 is a huge step towards privatisation of electricity and will take services like low cost electricity and subsidy of 200 units out of the reach of labourers. Women labour leaders Gurmail Kaur and Krishna Devi alleged that atrocities against Dalits are increasing, as is evident from the case of Nodeep Kaur. They also demanded release of Nodeep Kaur and Disha Ravi.

The Times of India

2021-02-20

Amritsar