Farmers Movement Archive

‘Stir to continue till better sense prevails’

Following hours of deliberations at a tile showroom serving as a makeshift meeting hall, which is a short distance from the bustle of the highway occupied by agitating farmers, 41 leaders representing them declared that the ongoing protest would continue till “better sense prevailed” on the Central government. Moreover, they stressed that the agitation would “intensify” over the coming days with efforts being made to bring more farmers from across the country to the gates of New Delhi to send a louder and clearer message about their resolve. ‘No compromise’ “We have ruled out all amendments to the Farm Laws and there is nothing less than their being repealed that we will settle for. The agitation will continue and intensify further,” Prem Singh Bhangu, president of All India Kisan Federation, announced after the meeting. “The government will have to accede to our demand and repeal the three black laws; there is no other way that the agitation will end,” said Harjinder Singh of the Azad Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Punjab. Farmers’ confident Despite being aware that another discussion aimed at breaking the deadlock between 31 representatives and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday evening had been inconclusive, leading to the cancellation of the sixth round of talks between them and the Centre scheduled for Wednesday, most farmers exuded confidence about the laws being repealed sooner or later. Not long after homage was paid, and two minutes’ silence observed, to honour the memory of around a dozen farmers who had lost their lives over the last four months while participating in the agitation a rousing call was made to gather more reinforcements aimed at increasing both the length and breadth of the existing gathering on the highway from the biggest stage at the protest site. Farmers said India’s reputation is being hit across the world and “international pressure” on the Centre to remedy the situation would pave the way forward. Others warned they would not only march to New Delhi but also “even beyond” to achieve an end to the Farm Laws. “Farmers and those too from Haryana and Punjab are double jeopardy for this government – we don’t believe in stepping back, we only move forward,” said Amolak Singh from Tarn Taran. “We will march to Maharasthra if required but not an inch backward,” said Jagdeep Singh. “We are used to getting up and bathing with cold water at 4 a.m. to go for daily prayers; their water cannons can do nothing to us,” said Manvinder Singh from Doda. “As far as their smoke bombs are concerned, our boys have flung the ones thrown on them from open jeeps as soon as they land when they tried to stop us 12 nights ago,” he said.

The Hindu

2020-12-10

New Delhi