Thousands of farmers initially from Punjab and Haryana and later from other states launched a protest on November 26 against three farm laws that they fear will corporateize agriculture. Defying police resistance and the freezing weather, they have now arrived in Delhi, with various groups besieging various borders of the national capital, in talks with the Center. The ongoing protest has set several stamps.
No politician can speak at the farmers’ meeting
Amid allegations that the protest is politically motivated, peasant organizations had at first said that no political leader will be allowed to deliver a speech from the protest platform. Bhim army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and Jan Adhikar party chief Pappu Yadav visited the protest site on the Ghazipur border and pledged their support. On Saturday, singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh visited the Singhu border and addressed farmers. “Farmers have created a new story. This story would be told to future generations. The problems of the farmers should not be diverted by anyone, ”said Diljit. Several Punjabi singers, including Gurshabad Singh Kular and Harf Cheema, performed on the Singhu border on Saturday.
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Refuse government hospitality at meetings
The protesters opened a community kitchen on the Singhu border that provided lunch for union leaders who came to Vigyan Bhawan for the meeting with the Center. This happened on both Thursday and Saturday when the leaders refused to accept government hospitality.
Maun vrat
During Saturday’s meeting, union leaders made a ‘maun vrat’ seeking a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer on whether or not the laws will be repealed. Some of the leaders also displayed the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ sign refusing to participate in the consultation.
Returning Awards
After former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal (Padma Vibhushan), Shiromani Chief Akali Dal (Democrat) and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Dhindsa (Padma Bhusan) returned their awards, several athletes are also keen to return your awards in support of the protest. “We have gone to Delhi today and we will join the farmers’ protest,” said former fighter Kartar Singh, who was awarded Padma Shri and Arjuna. Other former athletes heading to the national capital are Gurmail Singh, Olympic hockey award winner Dhyan Chand, Hardeep Singh, Arjuna’s Kabaddi player, and Tara Singh, Arjuna’s award-winning weightlifter.
On Friday, former national boxing coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu, during whose tenure India won its first Olympic medal in the sport, Padma Shri’s boxer Kaur Singh and Arjuna’s winning boxer Jaipal Singh had announced that they would return their awards.
Farmers have been protesting since the bills were passed in September. The first round of talks with the Center took place in October, but the peasant leaders left that meeting because no minister was present. This was followed by the second round on November 13. The last three rounds have taken place after the ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest started.
(With contributions from the agency)
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