A large number of farmers from adjoining areas of Punjab and Haryana on Sunday gathered in Ambala district to pay homage to 21-year-old Shubhkaran Singh, a young farmer from Bathinda district of Punjab who was killed in a clash with police at the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21.
A tribute ceremony was organized in memory of the young farmer at Mohra grain mandi adjacent to Ambala Cantonment. Farmers observed a two-minute silence. The gathering had been convened by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mukti Morcha (KMM) on Sunday to pay homage to Shubhkaran Singh.
On the occasion, a number of police personnel had been deployed in and around the event's venue to maintain peace.
Farmer leader Manjit Singh Rai alleged that the government is in “panic”, and due to this, it has arrested farmer activist Navdeep Singh Jalbera. The government wanted to create an atmosphere of fear, but it would not deter farmers who will continue with their peaceful protest, he said.
It should be mentioned here that the Ambala police had on Thursday arrested Jalbera in connection with an FIR registered during the farmers' ‘Delhi Chalo' protest last month.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the farmers have not blocked the Haryana-Punjab border at Shambhu and Khanauri points, but it is the Haryana Police which has barricaded it. The government wanted to crush the farmers’ movement, but they will continue to peacefully agitate, he added.
