Farmers Movement Archive

Will self-immolate if farm laws are not repealed: BKU’s US Nagar prez

Rudrapur: The president of the Chaduni wing of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) for Udham Singh Nagar district, Sahab Singh Sekhon, has threatened to immolate himself if the farmers' demands of revoking three agri-reform laws and making a law to ensure minimum support price (MSP) for crops are not met soon. The Chaduni wing of the BKU is headed by Gurnam Singh Chaduni. Sekhon said that farmers have been agitating for ten months now and more than "700 farmers even lost their lives during the stir" but the Union government has turned deaf to their demands. "The farmers will have to follow the path of supreme sacrifice shown by revolutionary Bhagat Singh", he said. The statement comes on the day when the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer organisations, observed a “Bharat Bandh” to mark the first anniversary of the three contentious farm laws getting Presidential assent. In Uttarakhand's Terai region, all commercial establishments were shut during the bandh (strike) hours — from 6 am to 4 pm. As a precautionary measure, Udham Singh Nagar police made elaborate security arrangements. As part of the protest, farmers, traders, and the members of Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party assembled at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Chowk in Rudrapur and raised slogans against the farm bills. Similar protests were held in Bazpur, Gadarpur, Kichha and Nanakmatta towns as well. In Jaspur, Kashipur, Sitarganj and Khatima, farmers blocked highways and railway tracks during the 10-hour-long bandh. Only emergency and essential services were allowed to function during the bandh.

The Times of India

2021-09-28

Dehradun