Farmers Movement Archive

We're ready for the farmers: Haryana's Anil Vij on Kisan Mahapanchayat in Karnal

Haryana's home minister Anil Vij on Monday said the state machinery is prepared for Tuesday's Kisan Mahapanchayat in Karnal, called by farmers unions protesting against the police action on protesters last week.“Let farmers hold it peacefully tomorrow. We've made all arrangements. Some routes have been diverted and sufficient security forces have been deployed,” Anil Vij was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The traffic on National Highway 44, which connects Delhi to Chandigarh, will be diverted from Karnal district and internet and SMS services will be suspended in and around the protest venue from midnight on Monday.The state government has deployed around 40 companies of additional forces, five superintendent-rank officials and 25 deputy superintendent-rank officials along with thousands of police personnel in Karnal for the Kisan Mahapanchayat.The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers unions protesting against the Centre's contentious agricultural laws, called the crucial Kisan Mahapanchayat on Tuesday in protest against police lathicharge on farmers on an expressway in Karnal on August 28.Hundreds and thousands of farmers plan to gherao the mini-secretariat in Karnal to demand action against sub-divisional magistrate Ayush Sinha over his “break the heads” order.Last week, Haryana police personnel baton-charged a group of protesting farmers in Karnal. The incident drew flak from several quarters after videos of Karnal sub-divisional magistrate Ayush Sinha ordering to “break the heads” of any protesters who "cross the barricades" went viral on social media.Several protesters were injured in the incident, following which SKM leaders sought the resignation of Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The IAS officer has since been transferred.The leaders of farmers unions from Haryana demanded registration of FIRs against Ayush Sinha and police personnel involved in the lathicharge, as well as financial assistance of ₹2 lakh for those injured in the incident.However, they called the Mahapanchayat after talks between Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni and Karnal deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar failed on Monday morning.A day ago, hundred and thousands of farmers from across the country gathered at Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh to set the stage for ‘Mission Uttar Pradesh’ and continue discussions on issues plaguing them.The gathering was attended by social activists such as Yogendra Yadav and Medha Patkar, who shared a dais with Bharatiya Kisan Union leaders Rakesh Tikait and his brother Naresh Tikait, as well as khaps and farmer leaders.Farmers from across the country have been seeking the repeal of three controversial agriculture-related laws — Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 — which they say will do away with minimum support price for their produce and expose them to exploitations by corporates, even as the Centre claim these laws will bring "reforms" in the agriculture sector through private-sector investment and create supply chains for the produce in the national and global markets.

Hindustan Times

06-09-2021

India