Chandigarh: As the farmers’ agitation on the Punjab-Haryana border continued for the 11th day Friday, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) Thursday decided to mobilise farmers across the country through all-India programmes in support of its demands and protest against the “repression of the farmers’ struggle.”
The SKM — a conglomerate of over three dozen farmer bodies, the majority from Punjab, that had led the agitation against the three central farm laws in 2020-2021— has not yet formally joined the current agitation but has been supporting it from outside with its own programmes.
The SKM declared that it would organise a day-long ‘Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat’ at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on 14 March to press for its demands.
It also announced that it would observe Friday, 23 February, as a black day or aakrosh divas across the country to protest against what it termed the “severe repression” unleashed by the Union and Haryana governments on farmers on the Shambhu and Khanauri borders Wednesday.
Haryana Police and agitating farmers clashed at the two sites on the Punjab and Haryana border Wednesday, leaving one farmer dead and a dozen seriously injured. The farmers’ bodies leading the protest at the borders claimed that several farmers had “gone missing” and hundreds of vehicles used by the farmers were damaged by Haryana policemen.
A general body meeting of the SKM was held in Chandigarh Thursday, attended by the organisation’s senior leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Hannan Mollah, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan and Darshan Pal.
The organisation also called for observing 26 February as “Quit WTO (World Trade Organization) Day” through a tractor parade. “Farmers across the country will bring their tractors to the state and national highways and park them on one side through the day as a mark of protest and press upon the Union government to make India leave the WTO,” said Tikait, addressing a press conference after the meeting.
While paying homage to Shubh Karan Singh, who died in the clash with the police Wednesday at the Khanauri border, the SKM squarely blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for “unleashing repression on the protesters”.
Demanding the resignations of Shah, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij, the SKM sought that the Punjab government lodge an FIR under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC against them and the police for Shubh Karan Singh’s “murder”.
“On 23 February, we will burn the effigies of these three leaders across the country and mark it as aakrosh divas,” said Ugrahan, addressing mediapersons following the meeting.
Rajewal said: “The SKM shall hold a massive ‘Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat’ on 14 March at Ramlila Ground, New Delhi.”
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring Thursday also gave a formal complaint to the senior superintendent of police (SSP) Patiala seeking registration of case/FIR against Vij, Ambala SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa and all other accused responsible for the “brutal murder” of Shubh Karan Singh.
The ongoing agitation of the farmers on the Punjab and Haryana borders at Shambhu and Khanauri is led by SKM (non-political) — a breakaway faction of the SKM — headed by Jagjit Singh Dallewal. The other farmer leader engaged in the current agitation is Sarwan Singh Pandher, heading the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Rakesh Tikait said that the current agitation has its own leaders and organisations and was undertaking its own programmes, while the SKM had decided to hold different programmes — “but their demands were the same”.
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Six-member panel to unite all farmer organisations
The SKM general body Thursday also decided to form a six-member committee to hold consultations with all former SKM members to lodge a united action plan for achieving farmers’ demands and developing issue-based unity to bring together all farmer organisations that were part of the SKM.
The members include Mollah, Ugrahan, Rajewal, Yudhavir Singh, Darshan Pal and Raminder Patiala.
Farmer leader Manjit Singh Dhaner, who also attended the meeting as part of the SKM Thursday, told mediapersons that Dallewal and Pandher had not done enough groundwork before asking their supporters to march towards Delhi.
The SKM alleged that Shubh Karan Singh was killed in police firing after the Haryana Police allegedly illegally entered the side of the protesters and also damaged the vehicles of the farmers.
It also demanded a judicial inquiry by a Supreme Court judge into the firing and the damage caused to tractors. The organisation also demanded the lodging of an FIR by the Punjab government against the Haryana Police officers.
It also demanded Rs 1 crore compensation for Shubh Karan Singh’s family, as well as repair expenses for the damaged tractors. “Apart from the compensation, the entire farm loan taken by his family should be waived off,” added Darshan Pal.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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