Farmers Movement Archive

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait vows to bolster stir against farm laws

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait vowed on Saturday to “strengthen the movement” against three contentious farm laws, even as several thousands of farmers took to streets in Punjab and Haryana to mark seven months of their ongoing stir.“In today’s meeting, we have decided to strengthen our movement. We have decided to hold two more rallies; a tractor rally will be held on July 9 in which people from Shamli and Baghpat will be present; it will reach Singhu border on July 10,” Tikait was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.“Another rally will be held on July 24, people from Bijnor and Meerut will be present in it. On the night of July 24, they will halt at Meerut toll and on July 25, the rally will reach here (Delhi-Ghazipur),” he added.Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.Meanwhile, the farmers stationed at Delhi’s Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders observed Saturday as “Save Agriculture, Save Democracy Day” to mark seven months of their protest and submitted a memorandum to all governors in the name of the President of India.Similar protests were organised in Punjab and Haryana, too, where the police used a water cannon to disperse the protesting farmers as they broke barricades at the Chandigarh-Mohali border in an attempt to march towards the Punjab governor’s house.In view of the farmers’ protest march, the Haryana Police also made security arrangements at the Chandigarh-Panchkula border. In Panchkula, farmer forced their way through a layer of barricades but were unable to enter Chandigarh and were stopped at the Panchkula border where Haryana police had deployed a water cannon and trucks.(With agency inputs)

Hindustan Times

27-06-2021

India