Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers observe ‘betrayal day’ in west UP

Farmers in west Uttar Pradesh observed “betrayal day” on Monday. They accused the BJP government of “vishwasghaat” (betrayal) and claimed it didn’t fulfill promises made to them for ending 13-month-long farmers’ protest.They staged protests at the district and tehsil headquarters across the region under the aegis of Bhartiya Kisan Union, BKU (Asli) and other farmer organisations and handed over a memorandum to the district officials, addressed to the President of India.“Vishwasghaat Diwas was observed as per the guidelines of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). Farmers gathered outside the offices of district magistrates and sub divisional magistrates and staged protests at Sadar, Khatauli, Meerut, Bulandshahar, Hapur, Amroha, Bagpat, Shamli and other tehsils and district headquarters,” BKU’s media incharge Dharmendra Malik said.BKU (Asli) president Harpal Singh Bilari said that farmers turned up in large numbers and raised slogans against the government.In the memorandum addressed to the President of India, the farmer organisations have said that the SKM decided to end protests at Delhi borders after agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal gave written assurance on some issues on December 9.“Farmers are pained to share that they were cheated again as government didn’t fulfill any promise made in the letter and this has compelled farmers to observe ‘Vishwasghaat Diwas’.The assurance of withdrawal of cases registered during movement has not been fulfilled and farmers are still receiving summons. Haryana and UP governments agreed to give compensation to families of farmers who died during the movement but nothing happened in this direction,” the memorandum read.The farmer organisations have also stated in the memorandum that along with assuring that a committee would be set up on the issue of MSP but that hasn’t been done as yet.“Farmers were mowed down in Lakhimpur Khiri and main conspirator of the incident Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni is still in union ministry and this is against Constitutional and political ethics. It is like rubbing salt in wounds of farmers. Also, the UP police were arresting farmers named in the incident and was sending them to jail,” the memorandum read. The farmers have threatened that the movement would be re started if the government fails to fulfill its promise.

Hindustan Times

31-01-2022

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