Kashif Ahmad Faraz | India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI—Intensifying their agitation in support of their demand for repeal of the farms laws, leaders of the protesting farmers at Singhu border and other places observed a day-long fast on Monday.
The protest by farmers that entered 19th day today.
BKU (Punjab) General Secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal, who was among those on hunger strike, told mediapersons that the fast were observed to awaken the government. He said that in all 40 leaders of the farmers observed fast, 25 at Singhu border, 10 attikri border and 5 at Ghazipur (UP) border. BHaratiya Kisan Union (Tikait) leader Rajesh Tikait sat on fast at Ghazipur border.
Balkaran Singh Brar, Working President, All India Kisan Sabha from Punjab said that the Central government had become stubborn and seemed to be not willing to accept the farmer’s demand. “The fast are a means to awaken them”, he said.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also observed fast today in support of the demands of the farmers. He appealed people, particularly his party workers, to fast for farmers wherever they are.
Kejriwal objected to somepeople calling farmers “terrorist, agents of China and Pakistan, or tukde, tukde gang”. “This is very sad”, he said.
He said that it is the family men of farmers who are guarding country’s borders. “They feel sad when they listen that their family members engaged in agriculture are called terrorists or Pakistanis”, said Kejriwal.
Farmers also vehemently criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi who, they alleged, has called the farmers agitation as “Sikh movement”.
In a tweet, All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) said, “PM is destabilising nation by consciously, craftily & continuously labelling All-India Farmers Agitation as “Sikh movement”. But All farmers of Punjab including Sikh farmers stand as one with farmers from Tripura to Gujarat, Tamil Nadu to J&K, demanding repeal of Black Laws”.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan farmers coming from Rajasthan to join the protesters in Delhi were stopped by Haryana police near Rewari on Jaipur-Delhi highway. Many of the farmers were detained but released later on.
There is a continuous effort from the Centre to persuade the farmers to call off the agitation, but there is still a deadlock on the issue of the demand for repealing the three farm laws by the farmer groups.
Leaders of farmer organisations want repealing of the three new farm laws implemented by the Central government – the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Price Assurance and Agricultural Services Agreement Act 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020. They are adamant on the demand for withdrawal of the laws.
While the government is trying to convince the farmers regarding amendment in these laws. However, the deadlock between the two sides – the Centre and the farmer unions – remains only on the demand to withdraw these three laws due to which further negotiations are not being held.
However, the list of demands of the farmers is quite long. The leaders of farmer organisations are demanding a new law to guarantee the purchase of all notified crops at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) while the government has given written assurance to continue the current system of procurement of crops at the MSP.
In addition to the specific demand regarding the written assurance on not doing away with the MSP, other demands by the farmers include abolition of the provisions for stricter penalties and fine in the ordinance related to stubble burning and withdrawal of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill.
–With inputs from agencies.
