Chalo Dilli campaign on farmers on one year of protest

| | Chandigarh
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Chalo Dilli campaign on farmers on one year of protest

Friday, 26 November 2021 | Monika Malik | Chandigarh

A year after the launch of a nation-wide agitation against the now to-be-repealed farm laws, the farmers from across the country — Punjab included — have managed to push the Central Government on the back foot on the issue. But they are yet to trudge ahead for better governmental support for the community in the form of minimum support price (MSP) to come out of the vicious circle of debt and suicide.

Even with the Union Cabinet paving way to repeal the three controversial agriculture legislations — Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020; The Farming Produce Trade and

Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, they have decided to continue with “Chalo Dilli” campaign launched on November 26 last year to mark the completion of their protest dharna at Delhi borders.

And the farmers’ “victory” in their struggle against the powers-that-be did not come easy — a total of 683 farmers, including nearly 500 from Punjab alone, sacrificed their lives in the one-of-its-kind year-long farm movement.

“This movement achieved several victories for the farmers, common citizens and the nation at large. The movement created a sense of unified identity for the farmers, cutting across regional, religious, or caste divisions. Despite difference of opinions, and ideologies, the farmers discovered a newfound sense of dignity and pride in their identity as farmers, and their assertion as citizens. It has deepened the roots of democracy and secularism in India,” said Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal.

Now, to mark the one year completion of the protests at the borders on Friday, and to send across the message that their agitation would continue till their demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP, are fulfilled, thousands of farmers from Punjab — in trucks, tractors, jeeps, buses, cars, trains -headed towards the national capital on Thursday. The movement started a day before.

As per the information available, nearly 35,000 farmers are expected to reach Delhi border from Punjab’s villages to ensure massive gathering. Besides, gatherings will also be organized at various protest sites across Punjab.

At the same time, Punjab’s biggest farmers’ organisation, BKU Ugrahan, on Thursday claimed that more than one lakh farmers, labourers, women, and youth flocked to Delhi to mark the anniversary of the Delhi Morcha and to strengthen voice to raise other burning demands of the Kisan Morcha.

“Hundreds of convoys of farmers of Punjab’s all 32 organizations have left for Delhi on the invitation of Samyukta Kisan Morcha. Like last year, the farmers have left in tractor-trolleys, buses and trucks with large caravans. About 35,000 farmers from Punjab are expected to reach Delhi,” BKU Ekta-Dakonda’s general secretary Jagmohan Singh Patiala said while talking with The Pioneer.

He said the anniversary of the agitation would also be celebrated in the ongoing farmers’ dharnas in Punjab and large gatherings are expected to take place in the dharnas.

At the same time, the farmer leaders have appealed to all sections, including farmers, labourers, youth, students, shopkeepers, artists, writers, transporters, among others to join the dharna.

Jagmohan Singh said even as the Union Government was repealing three agriculture laws in the forthcoming session of the Parliament, “but the fight would continue to have legal guarantee on MSP for all crops, ordinance on stubble burning, electricity amendment bill, cancelling all cases registered across the country against the farmers, tributes to martyred farmers in Parliament and providing compensation to their families, among other issues. These are yet to be resolved”.

Besides, the farmers also want the removal of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni in connection with the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri, apart from a memorial for the protestors who died, at Singhu border protest site.

“We want the martyr status for our farmers who sacrificed their lives to keep this struggle alive for one long year. Though it was a heavy cost to pay, but their lives are an example for all of us, especially our future generations, that we should never give up for our rights and continue fighting till you succeed,” said BKU Kadian’s national spokesperson Ravneet Brar.

Brar, a youngster settled in Chandigarh but having roots deep in the state’s farming community, hailed the farmers’ agitation as “longest peasant struggle in the history of the world”. He asserted that the Centre’s agreement to repeal the three farm laws “is a partial but a huge victory for us. But we are still fighting for the betterment of the farmers — be it related to MSP, loans, or suicide”.

“This movement came as a symbol of unity not only against the Central Government but also made Hindu-Muslim rapprochement seem possible in the country. This movement emerged as a symbol of power of unity against the government which has all along been claiming that this could never happen,” he said.

“Our convoys of 878 big buses and 1055 minibuses, including 290 truck canters and other small vehicles carrying ration quilts and other necessities started from Khanauri and Dabwali borders at 12 noon today with people from 1876 villages,” said BKU Ugrahan’s general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan.

Kokrikalan said instead of believing in the formal announcement made by the Prime Minister to withdraw the “black” agriculture acts, “we would return home only after they finally repeal these laws, besides accepting other demands on MSP, electricity bill, and stubble burning ordinance, Lakhimpur Kheri incident, police cases, compensation to the farmers-martyrs’ families.

“We would further strengthen our agitation,” he added.

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