Punjab farmers all set to head for Delhi borders for agitation

With wheat harvesting nearly over in Punjab, scores of farmers and farm labourers are all set to ‘march’ once more to State borders of Delhi on May 5 in a bid to make sure the momentum of the continuing agitation towards Centre’s farm legal guidelines stays intact.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), one of many largest outfit in Punjab, and the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), a distinguished outfit on the forefront of the continuing farmers’ agitation, have introduced that batches of farmers and farm labourers from a number of components of the State will begin transferring within the coming days in the direction of Delhi in order that the variety of protesters on the agitation websites retains rising.

While the BKU (Ugrahan) is planning to ship ‘big batches’ of farmers after May 10, the KMSC plans to ship scores of its member farmers and farm labourers from Amritsar district on May 5.

“Several groups of farmers are all set to leave for Delhi on May 5 from Amritsar. Preparations have been almost complete, and we would ensure that the momentum of agitation at the protests site on Delhi borders doesn’t drop for the want of number of protesters,” KMSC normal secretary Sarvan Singh Pandher informed The Puucho on Tuesday.

“On May 5, at least one thousand tractor-trolleys and other vehicles will start their march from Amritsar district alone to Delhi. We are expecting 10,000-15,000 people to part of our latest batch, which will go to Singhu-Kundli border. Since the agitation started on Delhi borders, this is our twelfth big batch that would be going. Smaller number of farmer batches keep continuously going and come back from Delhi borders on routine basis from many villages as well,” he mentioned.

‘Demand for repeal will continue’

Mr. Pandher added that the BJP-led Central authorities mustn’t stay beneath any false impression that the agitation would fizzle out. “We will continue our battle until our demands are met. Farmers from Punjab will continue to throng Delhi borders unless the government repeals the three controversial farm laws,” he mentioned.

Tens of hundreds of farmers, largely from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been tenting at a number of locations at Delhi borders for many months, demanding a repeal of the three farm legal guidelines.

Sukhdev Singh, normal secretary of the BKU (U), mentioned that the outfit was at present busy holding conferences with farmers throughout all the districts to talk about new methods for the continuing agitation. “After holding discussions with farmers, which will continue till May 10, we will be sending a contingent of people from the State to Delhi border. We are mobilising people to strengthen the Delhi ‘morcha’ (front). We are continuously holding activities to mobilise people to go to Delhi as well as to strengthen the ongoing ‘morchas’ in Punjab as well,” he mentioned.

“On April 21, a contingent of around 18,000 farmers had left for Delhi. Now again we are preparing to send a large number of people to Delhi ‘morchas’,” he mentioned.

The BKU (U) has a substantial maintain in not less than 16 districts of Punjab, which primarily embody Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda, Moga, Barnala, Faridkot, Muktsar, Fazilka, Ferozpur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Gurdapsur, Ludhiana and Jalandhar.

Mr. Singh mentioned the BKU (U) wouldn’t settle for something lower than repealing of the farm legal guidelines. “Also, the government should ensure procurement of all crops and in all the States at Minimum Support Price as legal right,” he added.