Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers hold ‘mahapanchayat’ at Kurukshetra, discuss ways to ensure Bharat Bandh call a complete success

JK Singh | TNN Ismailabad, Kurukshetra: Scores of farmers under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) held a ‘Kisan Bachao Desh Bachao’ mahapanchayat at the grain market in Kurukshetra district’s Ismailabad town on Wednesday. Hundreds of farmers from the region assembled at the market, where top leaders and social activists urged them to ensure that the Bharat Bandh call of Sanyukta Kisan Morcha is a complete success. Key personalities who attended the event included SKM leader Darshan Pal, BKU (Charuni) national president Gurnam Charuni, BKU Krantikar Punjab president Surjit Singh Phul, Punjabi language activist Lakha Sidhana, and Haryana activists Ravi Azad. Gurnam Singh Charuni, in his address to farmers, said, “In Haryana, over 200 cases have been registered against 40,000 persons during this andolan, and summons are being sent to several other farmers. I have also received a summon. Nobody should respond to the summons and go to the police or any court. We want the government to take back its summons. We are protesting peacefully for our rights and the government should not provoke us.” About opening the Delhi border, Charuni said, “We have not closed the border, the government has closed it. The government should come forward and open the borders now, then we will uproot our tents and install them in front of the Parliament. There is no question of Supreme Court orders as we have not closed the borders. We will continue our protest until we win.” Speaking in the Punjabi, SKM leader Darshan Pal said, “A call has been given by the SKM for a complete Bharat Bandh. All offices, markets, shops, national and state highways, and rail tracks will be closed from 6 am to 4 pm on September 27. All anti-BJP parties and other organisations are invited to support the bandh.” Pal also raised the slogan “27 tarik nu ki houga (what will happen on date 27)”, and farmers responded by shouting, “mukamal Bharat bandh houga (complete India will be closed)”. “On September 26, Kisan Andolan will complete 10 months. It will also mark one year on October 1 when we had given a call to shut all toll plazas to boycott the BJP leaders and corporate houses. I congratulate the people of Punjab and Haryana that today a car does not have to pay any toll tax in these states,” said Darshan Pal. Pal said that under the leadership of SKM, farmers will continue to sit on Delhi borders until the agri-marketing laws are repealed. Speaking at the event, activist Lakha Sidhana raised the slogan of Haryana Punjab ekta zindabad and said, “To defame this Andolan, the (BJP) governments in Haryana and Centre have made every possible effort and tried to create a rift between Haryana and Punjab. Today, this agitation is more fierce in Haryana than Punjab, despite the fact that it started in Punjab. It is a golden opportunity to bring a change as people have now awakened after a long sleep.” “

The Times of India

2021-09-23

Chandigarh