Farmers Movement Archive

Despite paddy season, heat, farmer groups leave for Delhi

BATHINDA/KARNAL: Even in the 40 degrees Celsius heat and start of paddy transplantation, the Punjab and Haryana farmers head to the Delhi borders for another sit-in against three central agri-marketing laws. Apart from BKU Charuni’s big convoy from Panipat, smaller groups also reached Tikri and Singhu. On Wednesday, central agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar refused once again to repeal the farm laws and asked farmers to pick another option to resume talks. They instead reinforced their numbers on the Delhi borders and fortified against heat and approaching monsoon. BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) is building a 10,000-square-feet pucca shed at the Bahadurgarh grain market near Pakora Chowk. Farmer union’s secretary Shingara Singh Mann said: "We have family back home for hassle-free transplantation of paddy. The wheat season went well along with the protests and the transplantation of paddy will also not suffer. At many places, our activists will take over where the entire families have joined protest." BKU (Dakaunda) vice-president Manjit Singh Dhaner, who led a batch to Delhi three days ago, said: "We have asked the farmers to send anyone from the family. Paddy is essential but the protest, too, is important." After Karnal and Ambala, Panipat sent a big batch to Delhi on Sunday. The farmers first gathered at the toll plaza on National Highway-44. Gurnam Singh Charuni, one of the biggest protest commanders, led this convoy of SUVs, cars, and motorcycles. He said: "The farmers of Panipat have pumped new energy into the movement. It shows how neither our count nor our enthusiasm has come down." Charuni said the farmers had saved the country’s economy during the Covid-19 pandemic but, in the 11 rounds of talks, failed to understand the benefits of the three farm laws. He saw gains only for the corporate houses. Reacting to the MSP hike, Charuni used a common idiom to say: "Oont ke muh me jeera (a cumin seed in the camel’s mouth)." (With inputs from Amit Kumar)

The Times of India

2021-06-11

Chandigarh