Farmers From Across Country to Reach Delhi on March 6, ‘Rail Roko’ on March 10

New Delhi:  Farmers are once again gearing up to take to the streets in a big way.  Several farmer organisations are already on the streets in the Punjab-Haryana border as well as in some region of Uttar Pradesh, demanding legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) among other demands.

On February 13, on the call of ‘Delhi Chalo’ by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, the “Farmers’ Movement 2.0” reached Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab and Haryana. There, the farmers had to face use of heavy force by the Haryana police. But the farmers decided to stay put and have set up solid camps, like at the Delhi border earlier. At present, the movement is stable and there is peace on both sides.

However, the farmers agitating on the border of Haryana on Sunday announced their future programme and have called for a ‘March to Delhi’ on March 6 and ‘Rail Roko’ across the country on March 10 from 12 p.m to 4 .pm.

 The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which spearheaded the earlier farmers’ movement, has already called for a Mega Mahapanchayat in Delhi on March 14.

 Making the announcement on Sunday, SKM-NP and KMM said farmers, labourers and tribals from across the country would march to Delhi, on March 6, They will travel by trains and buses.

 “The government says that farmers should come without tractor-trolleys, so we have decided that on trains and buses,” they said.

In a statement on Sunday, SKM (Non-Political) and KMM alleged that it was on the instructions of the Central government that Shubkaran Singh was martyred on February 21. The 21-year-old young farmers was shot by the Haryana Police and Central Forces, they alleged. His last rites were conducted on February 29. On Sunday, the Antim Ardas took place in his native village in Bhatinda, which was attended by lakhs of villagers who paid homage to the “martyr”.

Speaking on the occasion, KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher and SKM-NP leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that the huge turnout of people from all over India and Punjab for Sunday's martyrdom ceremony should be an eye opener for the Narendra Modi government.

 He said that the way tear gas was used indiscriminately on peaceful protesting farmers and labourers and the way thousands of people are suffering from asthma, chest pain and eye problems, and the manner in which rubber pellets were fired, 12.bore rifles and SLRs were used, led to the death of one farmer. He said one farmer had lost vision while Preetpal Singh, another farmers, has been taken into custody “illegally” and his “legs were smashed”. He said that around 500 farmers were injured.

 The farmer leader said that it was clear from these acts that the Modi government is treating farmers and labourers demanding their rights like “army of an enemy country”. He said this was unfortunate. Attempts are being made to establish dictatorship in the country, but the people of the country will not allow this to happen, he added.

 Dallewal also condemned the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for declaring the “main accused of Lakhimpur Kheri” impunity by giving him a Lok Sabha election ticket from Lakhimpur Kheri. “We condemn it and the country is watching it, and will never forgive them for this. We will teach a lesson to the Modi government,” he added.

Dallewal said BJP leaders should “awaken their conscience”, adding that the narrative of some “broker” media outfits close to the government to prove that this struggle is only of a few organisations, is false, as “SKM-NP and KMM are nationwide movements of over 200 organisations of the country.”

 He also said that BJP's IT cell was trying to defame the movement by trying to create two groups on social media and abusing the other and trying to defame them by terming them as  Congress, Akali Dal and AAP fronts.

Dallewal said the sacrifice of “Martyr Shubhkaran Singh will not go in vain and the struggle will continue until the MSP and Crop Purchase Guarantee Act, implementation of the Swaminathan Report, complete loan waiver of farmers and resolution of the entire charter of demands are not resolved.”

 He further said that PM Modi was saying that he as the “blessings” of 140 crore people, “but his government has oppressed the people of the country, and if he does not respect the voice of the people of the country, then he will face the wrath of 140 crore people.”

Dallewal said apart from Haryana and Punjab, the farmers’ movement had spread to other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, and in the coming days, farmer leaders will expand this campaign to more states.

“Today the voice of the movement is echoing in parliaments of foreign countries, too,” he added.

Sunday’s gathering also voted for:

- The names of the officers responsible for giving and following the instructions to open fire from the Centre or Haryana be included in the FIR and they should be arrested.

- The government should immediately give compensation for the damage caused by recent hailstorm, heavy rain and storm in North India

- Fulfill the demands for which Shubhakaran ji was martyred, and the farmers-labourers-employees' organisations of the entire country should make efforts to make this movement successful by putting the culprits of Khanauri firing into jail.