DM Monitoring
Chandigarh: After the antim bhog ceremony of farmer Shubhkaran Singh, who was killed during clashes between farmers and security forces last month, farmer bodies leading the ‘Delhi Challo’ programme announced that they will be heading to the capital on March 6 by train, bus, air and foot to step up pressure on the Modi government.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, convener of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM non-political), who is leading the farmers’ protest in Punjab, told the media that the Union government has often asked farmers to march peacefully to Delhi without their tractor-trolleys. In line with this, the farmers have changed their strategy to reach Delhi through other means. “We will now see how farmers are treated in Delhi and whether we are allowed to protest peacefully,” he added.
Dallewal also announced a one-day ‘rail-roko’ program on March 10, between 12 pm and 4 pm, as part of their protest.
He appealed to the citizens of the country that this agitation is not of Haryana, Punjab, or Shubhkaran alone. It’s a national agitation and they must support their cause. He said this country will grow if farmers grow.
The legal guarantee to Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been a key demand of farmer unions, which they claimed was promised by Modi government at the time of withdrawing three farm laws during last edition of farm protest in 2020.
Since the demand has remained unfulfilled, farmers unions, mainly splinter groups of SKM (which played key role in 2020 farm protest) began marching towards Delhi on February 13 from various towns of Punjab.
However, security forces deployed at the Punjab-Haryana borders at Shambhu and Khanauri halted their march by dropping tear gas shells and other excessive use of force.
In several rounds of clashes since then, a large number of farmers as well as policemen have sustained serious injuries.
One of them was 22-year-old farmer Shubhkaran Singh from Bhatinda’s Ballo village who died during these clashes at Khanuari border on February 21. His body was only cremated a week later, on February 29, after Punjab police filed a murder case under pressure from farmer bodies. As per media reports, an autopsy report also confirmed the initial suspicion that he had died of a firearm injury on the back of his head.
Meanwhile, Sarwan Singh Pandher, convener of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, which is also leading the Delhi Chalo march, also told media that their protest would continue at Punjab-Haryana borders.
The number of farmers at the Shambhu and Khannauri is set to increase in the coming days, while the remaining border points between Punjab and Haryana would also be covered, he said.
Pandher said that there was no way that farmers will step back from their protest.
They will fight till they get legal guarantee to MSP, adding that it is non-negotiable.
“It is what would decide the fate of farmers in future. We can’t think of profitable farming until farmers are assured at least the price decided by government,” he Pandher added.
Meanwhile, a large number of farmers attended the bhog ceramony at Shubhkaran’s native village.
Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has declared Rs 1 crore in compensation and a government job for the deceased farmer’s younger sister.
Addressing a press conference, Punjab’s BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said that all wheat and paddy produced in Punjab is being lifted at MSP by the Union government. “Then whose battle are these so-called farmer leaders fighting?” he asked.
He claimed a guarantee of MSP will not solve the entire problem as none of the remaining 21 crops are as remunerative as paddy and wheat.
It is the responsibility of farmer leaders to tell what Punjab is to gain from this protest as we are already getting MSP on wheat and paddy which we produce, Jakhar said, asking asking farmer leaders not to “mislead youngsters from Punjab for their own motives.”
