Farmers Movement Archive

Govt to hold judicial inquiry, elated farmers leave for home

Tribune News ServiceKarnal, September 11With BKU president Gurnam Singh Charuni’s announcement to end the dharna, hundreds of farmers left for their homes with a smile on their faces. Elated farmers referred the government decision for a judicial probe into the lathicharge incident as their victory.No let-up in Stir At Delhi bordersOur demands have been accepted so we’ve ended the dharna. But the protest at Bastara toll plaza and Delhi borders will continue till the three laws are revoked. — Gurnam Singh Charuni, BKU Chief“It is our victory as the government has accepted our demands positively. Our dharna at the Delhi borders will continue,” said Ajmer Singh, a farmer.“The government took some time to accept our genuine demands. In coming days, the Centre will also revoke the three farm laws because even that is a genuine demand,” said Kashmir Singh, a farmer who camped here since the day first of the protest.Referring the decision as the victory of the farming community, Rajpal, another farmer from Kaithal, said these demands should have been accepted quite earlier.Charuni, too, called it a victory of the farmers and their agitation.Notably, after holding a kisan mahapanchayat on September 7 to press their demands against the police lathicharge on August 28, thousands of farmers walked for around 5 km from the Karnal grain market to the city and laid siege outside the mini secretariat for an indefinite period after their talks with the authorities failed.They were demanding the suspension of 2018-batch IAS officer Ayush Sinha for his “smash their heads” briefing to the police personnel on August 28. The farmers were canecharged at the Bastara toll plaza during a protest against the state-level meeting of the BJP held in the city.The farm leaders were demanding a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the family and a job for the son of deceased farmer Sushil Kajal, who, as per other farmers, was among those injured in the lathicharge. He later died of ‘heart attack’. They were also demanding a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for injured farmers.During the past five days, several rounds of talks took place between the administration and farm leaders. On Friday evening, the government assured the farm leaders of a judicial probe from a retired judge, two jobs to the family members of Kajal on the DC rate against sanctioned posts in the meeting. The farm leaders discussed the offer with the SKM members and accepted the government proposal on Saturday morning.

The Tribune

2021-09-12