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Farm and Forest Freedom

Farmers resolve to continue dissent continues on Dussehra

Punjab and Haryana farmers burn copies of ‘anti-farmer laws’ and effigies of union government members and business personalities instead of Ravana during Dussehra celebrations.

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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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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he was grateful to farmers and that the police cannot deter farmers who will continue to agitate until the laws are repealed.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.

 

 

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:

Punjab BJP Kisan Morcha President resigns!

Punjab CM introduces three bills in state assembly to counter the centre’s farm laws

Unsatisfied farmer union leaders tear Acts, walk out of meeting with Agriculture Secretary!

Nearly 100 farmers, Yogendra Yadav and Pralhad Singh arrested in Sirsa!

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