Image: https://twitter.com/ramanmann1974/
Farmers merged Dussehra celebrations with an expression of dissent as they burnt copies of the centre’s ‘anti-farmer’ agriculture laws. However, anger boiled over in some other places where effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, business tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani were also set on fire.
The Tribune reported that the protest was led by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) in Punjab wherein they along with other organisations gave a call to burn effigies and agitate against the silence maintained by the central government on the three agriculture laws.
Accordingly, farmers at several districts such as the Multipurpose Sports Stadium in Bathinda and government school stadiums in Sangat, Nathana and Maur, PWD Ground near the railway station in Rampura and Tractor Mandi in Talwandi Sabo answered the call.
People in Mansa city, Budhlada and Sardulgarh of Mansa district raised slogans against the government who, farmers feared, planned to help corporate houses to take over their agricultural land. State Secretary of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) Shingara Singh Mann claimed Modi, Amabani and Adani were hiding behind the ruinous laws.
किसान का #Dashera __ कहीं अंध भक्त भी चोरी चोरी देख कर इंजॉय कर रहे होंगे? #dashra #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/90zEBO21Au
— Rajesh Beniwal✍✍ (@RajeshB00811029) October 25, 2020
Other places in Punjab that joined in the protest on Sunday were Sangrur, Barnala, Malerkotla and Mandi Ahmedgarh farmers and Ferozepur farmers of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.
Punjab Youth Congress led by Mansa DYC president Chuspinder Chahal on #Dussehra burnt the effigy of PM Modi in Mansa district as a symbolic protest against the anti farmer bills.
A bike rally was also held in the district before the burning of the effigy. pic.twitter.com/1ka6xl0dAp
— Himanshu_Nsui (@Himanshusadhora) October 26, 2020
In Haryana, members of the BKU (Charuni) followed suit in Ambala and Kurukshetra cities with an added embellishment of burning an effigy of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and several copies of the three laws.
Farmers assembled in large numbers. However, on hearing about the intended protest, police were deployed at Lakhnaur Sahib in Ambala and Pipli in Kurukshetra to foil the protests and arrest agitators early morning.
Such was the fear, that farmers will turn out in large no’s to burn effiggies of Modi at all District Headquarters of Haryana, that #Haryana police barricaded all the district HQ’s, picked up farm leaders in the morning; undettered farmers r burning effigies in villages, & halkas pic.twitter.com/YzewP97gEh
— Ramandeep Singh Mann (@ramanmann1974) October 25, 2020
BKU (Charuni) Chief Gurnam Singh Charuni said he was grateful to farmers and that the police cannot deter farmers who will continue to agitate until the laws are repealed.
Meanwhile, farmer leaders in Kurukshetra changed the venue to Shahabad after learning about a huge group of police personnel at the Pipli grain market. They transported the effigy on a tractor, raised slogans against the BJP government and carried out the demonstration near the residence of the Chief Minister’s political secretary and former Shahabad MLA Krishan Bedi that was also guarded by police.
Once the effigies were set on fire, police used water cannons to douse the flames which led to a heated argument between farmers and policemen. Two effigies were burnt in Shahabad and one in Pehowa.
Ambala Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kalia said Anti-Terrorist Front President Viresh Shandilya filed a complaint that burning effigies might hurt religious sentiments and disturb the law and order situation.
#Haryana and #Punjab #farmers had planned to burn effigies of Modi Ji today #Dusshera, to protest against the new #agri laws, but #Haryana police started arresting farm union leaders from morning itself. So, the writing on the wall is that you cannot protest peacefully also. pic.twitter.com/L58JUeDRyc
— Ramandeep Singh Mann (@ramanmann1974) October 25, 2020
Similarly, members of the Anndata Kisan Union (AKU) burnt copies of the three anti-farmer-dubbed Acts outside the Mini-Secretariat. AKU National President Gurmukh Singh, while leading protesters blamed the government for forcing farmers to protest at a festival.
Talking about the flaws in the three Acts, he said they would have an adverse effect on the economy. Farmers would not get profitable returns from their produce and the mandi system would be hit and labourers would be rendered jobless, he said.
Related:
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