Updated: December 1, 2020 7:54:28 am
At a press conference on the Singhu border, representatives of the farmers’ unions said that they would continue to block the borders of Delhi until their demand was met (Express photo by Amit Mehra).
As PROTESTING farmers continued to camp on the Delhi borders for the fifth day on Monday, farmers’ unions stressed that their demand for repeal of the new farm laws was “non-negotiable.”
Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to his “mann ki baat”, they said that in addition to neighboring states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, farmers from states such as Madhya Pradesh and Kerala were also joining his protest.
At a press conference on the Singhu border, representatives of the farmers’ unions said they would continue to block the Delhi borders until their demand was met.
“We know that November-December is a very important period for farmers. Many of us have left our farms to come here to protest. Our demands remain the same from day one: the laws must be withdrawn. This is not negotiable. This protest is from farmers and is above any religion. This is becoming a bigger movement and the government must listen, ”said Shiv Kumar, coordinator of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangh, who represents farmers in Madhya Pradesh.
The farmers’ unions said the new laws would give “unregulated freedom to companies.”
Read | The government invites agricultural leaders to dialogue today; Prime Minister blames protest for ‘rumors’ and ‘praopaganda’
“This movement will affect the entire structure of agribusiness. It seems that there will be a greater scope for blackmail. We are here to protest, despite the fact that the Haryana government has slapped 31 FIRs against farmers on charges that include breaking barriers. Some of the FIRs are for attempted murder. The fact is that we will not stop, ”said Gurnam Singh, President of Haryana State, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).
“Thirty-two years after Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait brought hundreds of thousands of farmers to the streets, we are witnessing a great movement of farmers again. They say that this protest is from intermediaries. I ask them to verify if they are farmers or intermediaries. They say that the farmers know nothing; only Modi and the Planning Commission know. The truth is that all the children of the town also know what reality is. They say it is only by farmers from Punjab. Today, we have people from Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and many other places. Punjab has taken the lead, but it is slowly becoming a national movement, ”said Swaraj India National President Yogendra Yadav.
Read also | Farmers’ Protest: In Delhi, Congress Shakes Hands; in Punjab, crossed your fingers
A collective organization of eight transport unions in the Delhi-NCR region also joined the protest. They sent a letter to the farmers’ unions stating that they would go on strike in two days if the government did not comply with their demands.
“We will make sure there are no cars, taxis, private taxis or trucks in the NCR after two days if the government does not comply with their demands. We are all indebted to the farming community. Representatives from the auto unions have also joined us, ”said Balwant Singh Bhullar, All India Sarthi and Owner Organization.
At the Singhu border, the day began with an ardaas in the morning, on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti. Although langares were established since November 26, when farmers reached the border, prasad and sweets were distributed on Monday.
Explained | The great concern of farmers and what the government could negotiate
At night, protesters lit candles as part of the celebrations. “My wife and my two children are in Ludhiana. I miss them at this festival, and I’m sure they miss me too. But I told them I’m on a mission. This is for our survival. I have asked you to have extra halwa on my behalf. I will only return home when there is a logical conclusion to this protest, ”said Manjeet Singh, a farmer from Punjab.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police registered an FIR against unknown persons for allegedly rioting, clashing with the police and violating pandemic regulations at the Singhu border on November 27. While no arrests have been made, police are reviewing videos to identify the defendants.
DCP (Outer-North) Gaurav Sharma said the case has been registered on the basis of the SHO complaint. The FIR has been registered under IPC sections 186 (obstruction of the public servant in the performance of public functions), 353 (assault or use of criminal force to dissuade the public servant from the performance of his duty), 332 (causing harm voluntarily to deter the public servant of his duty) 147 (punishment for riot), 148 (riot, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (illegal assembly) and 34 (common intention).
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