Farmers Movement Archive

Stir not hit by Punjab’s change of guard: Farmers

Tribune News ServiceHisar, September 19The change of guard in Punjab is unlikely to have any bearing on the farmers’ agitation that has been going strong for the past many months at the Singhu and Tikri borders along the national capital.Haryana farmers, who are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their Punjab counterparts in the agitation, see in Capt Amarinder Singh a champion of farmers who supported the stir in his state.The farmers from Punjab stated that it is the political compulsion of the Congress government in Punjab to support the farmers’ agitation. “The farmers issue will play a major role in the upcoming elections in Punjab. The new Chief Minister, Charanjit Singh Channi, too had expressed support to the agitation when he was a minister the Amarinder Singh Cabinet,” said Jasbir Kaur, a farmer activist from Punjab, adding that Captain Amarinder had failed to fulfil pre-poll promises in Punjab.Labh Singh, a farmer activist from Tohana in Haryana, said the state farmers see Capt Amarinder Singh as a leader who was backing the Punjab farmers with all kinds of support from the beginning of the agitation.“Captain Amarinder has gained much support from Haryana farmers on the issue of the farmers’ agitation. He is being seen as a strong leader who is standing with the farmers in Punjab,” he said.Ramkumar, a political expert, maintained that the new Chief Minister would have to be more vocal than Amarinder in supporting the farmers. “He has very little time with him as the elections are just six months away. There is a possibility that Channi will be more supportive of farmers,” he added.Ravi Azad, a Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader from Bhiwani, said that farmer leaders are not concerned about political changes. “We are going strong on our issues and want rollback of the three agriculture laws. Though attendance at the dharna sites is slightly low nowadays, we expect that the people from Punjab will start returning to dharna sites after completing their agricultural works of the kharif season soon,” he said.A routine process: Hry Cong inchargeKarnal: State Cong affairs incharge Vivek Bansal on Sunday said the change of guard in Punjab was a routine process. It was the result of the feelings of the MLAs. “The BJP changed six CMs recently,” Bansal told the media at the residence of AICC secretary Virender Rathore in Sector 13. On being asked about the stir, Bansal said the farmers were in a do-or-die situation and the govt should listen to their issues positively by keeping aside its “ego”. tns

The Tribune

2021-09-20