Farmers Movement Archive

Not an easy win for farmers, they paid a heavy price, says Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi

BATHINDA: Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday said the state government will welcome the farmers after their victorious return from Delhi borders. While addressing a rally in Mansa, he said it was the victory of the people and unmatched unity of the various sections of the society that forced the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre to roll back the draconian farm laws. He added that despite the BJP not paying heed to the farmers’ demands for almost a year, the party leaders now wanted to encash the victory of the farmers in the upcoming assembly elections. “It was not an easy victory for farmers as they had to pay a heavy price... and more than 700 farmers sacrificed their lives during the agitation,” he said. Channi claimed his government has given jobs and financial assistance to the families of around 350 farmers who lost their lives during the agitation and would soon facilitate the remaining families from Punjab. The chief minister also lashed out at the Badals and Akali MLA Bikramjit Majithia for looting the state’s exchequer to set up their own business empires. Apart from the Badals and Majithia, former CM Capt Amarinder Singh was also involved in such malpractices and did not pay any heed to the problems of the common people. Terming AAP a party of thugs and looters, he said the non-Punjabis are trying to befool the people of Punjab with their poll gimmicks and again termed the AAP national convener as ‘black-hearted Kala Angrez’. When Sidhu Moosewala started addressing the rally, the supporters of Mansa district Youth Congress president Chuspinder Singh Chahal created a ruckus. Holding photos of Chuspinder, they started raising slogans in support of the youth leader. Irked, Warring tried stopping the irate youth activists from raising slogans while Channi held the mike and said “crores (of people) see and listen to songs of Moosewala and this type of behaviour is not right”. Lathicharge on teachers Police resorted to a mild lathicharge when some ad hoc teachers, who are demanding job regularisation, tried to reach the Congress rally venue. Police detained some of them but released them later. The protesters claimed police beat up them “mercilessly”. Various teacher organisations slammed the government for treating teachers like animals “that too on international human rights day”. “This is the real face of Channi government, which chose the human rights day to violate the right of protests by under-paid teachers. This government makes lots of claims of siding by the people, but has in reality shown that it is anti-protesters,” said unemployed teachers union member Gurmail Singh. Farm groups oppose brutality Farm group BKU Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said by making police beat up protesters in such a way, the Channi government has even surpassed brutality of the central government. “We take it seriously and will ask the Channi government to stop indulging in such brutality or face action,” he said. Farm leader Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala said, “It is unthinkable that government indulged in such inhuman behaviour. It will have to pay for this as this government is trying to show that raising voice is a sin.”

The Times of India

2021-12-11

Amritsar