Farmers Movement Archive

Successful protest, say farmers

Farm unions under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Tuesday claimed that more than 50 lakh people participated in the Bharat Bandh call at 20,000 locations across the country. At least 25 political parties supported the bandh, along with trade unions, retail and transport associations and many professional bodies. At a press conference on the Singhu border, farmer leaders claimed success in the nationwide protest which saw normal life disrupted across large parts of northern India, especially Punjab, as well as Odisha, and the southern States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. “It is very clear today that the struggle is not just restricted to Punjab, and not just restricted to farmers. This has become a struggle across all sections of society in India. The government of India now knows it doesn’t have a way out,” said Gurnam Singh Chaduni, leader of one of the biggest factions of the Bharatiya Kisan Union in Haryana. Pre-emptive arrests Large numbers of protestors and leaders, including several legislators, were detained during the day, both pre-emptively and during the agitation. While representatives of the 32 farmers’ unions from Punjab and leaders of farmers’groups from other States have so far participated in five rounds of meetings with the Centre, on Tuesday, Mr. Shah reached out to the farmers groups suggesting an “unofficial” meeting with 13-14 representatives at his residence at 7 p.m., some leaders told The Hindu . At the last minute, the venue was shifted to the National Agricultural Science Complex, Pusa, and the meeting began after 8 p.m. However, some leaders met Mr. Shah at his residence before the Pusa meeting, according to some sources. One leader, Rudru Singh Mansa was disgruntled by the venue change, and initially headed back to the Singhu border, before being persuaded to attend the meeting. Joginder Singh, president of BKU-Ugrahan, who was not included in the meeting, said the unions should not have met Mr. Shah separately as the move would create “misunderstanding among struggling people.” He added that BKU-Ugrahan had previously been approached twice for separate talks with the government, but had refused the offer. “We had always demanded that all organisations should be invited jointly and we will stick to the demand,” he said.

The Hindu

2020-12-09

NEW DELHI