Farmers Movement Archive

Terai farmers demand min’s resignation, death penalty for son; former CM courts arrest

Rudrapur: Hundreds of farmers associated with the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) staged protests across the Terai region of Uttarakhand on Monday, demanding resignation of the Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra Teni and death penalty for his son Ashish Mishra, who has been accused of leading the convoy which allegedly mowed down four protesting farmers in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri. In Dehradun, Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat and other party members courted arrest against Sunday’s violence and detention of Priyanka Gandhi, who was on her way to meet affected families in Lakhimpur Kheri. Rawat along with some party members was taken into preventive custody soon after the group staged a protest in the premises of the office of the senior superintendent of police (SSP). “First, the farmers were left to die in extreme winter and when they remained adamant, their voices are being suppressed by running them over. This is not murder of farmers, but that of democracy. This government (UP government) should resign and the Union minister be sacked,” alleged Rawat. In Udham Singh Nagar — the food bowl of Uttarakhand — as well, scores of farmers under the banner of BKU marched towards the district magistrate office. They were stopped at the main entrance of the collectorate by the heavy police force deployed there. The farmers have demanded an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore for the family of each deceased farmer and government jobs for their family members. A candle march was conducted in Bajpur while Congress workers gheraoed the police station in Kashipur. The protests came even as the president of the Terai Kisan Mahasabha (TKM), Tejender Singh Virk, who was injured in Lakhimpur’s violence, is fighting for his life, according to a friend of his family. Vikramjeet Singh Virk told TOI, “Tejender was admitted to a private hospital in Rudrapur, but he has been referred to a higher centre in Gurugram. He has a skull fracture and a part of the bone has entered the brain. There is clotting in the brain.” BKU state president Karm Singh Padda likened Sunday’s violence to Jallianwala Bagh. “Decades ago, innocent Indians were killed by the British during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. In this case as well, innocent people have been killed to weaken the farmers’ movement against the farm laws. We will not tolerate atrocities of the BJP government. We will seek justice for our companions who lost their lives to the cruelty of a BJP leader. He must resign and his son should be given death penalty,” Padda said. Members of the city traders’ union, Gurdwara Guru Singh Sabha, Sanatan Dharm Sabha and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also participated in protests in US Nagar to extend support to farmers. (Inputs by Kautilya Singh)

The Times of India

2021-10-05

Dehradun