Farmers observe 'black day' on Samyukta Kisan Morcha's call
The SKM held a meeting in Chandigarh on Thursday to discuss the situation at Shambhu and Khanauri border points where thousands of farmers are camping as part of the 'Delhi Chalo' call.
Team RuralVoice
Farmers observed a 'black day' on Friday following a call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) to mourn the death of a protesting farmer on the Punjab-Haryana border.
The SKM held a meeting in Chandigarh on Thursday to discuss the situation at Shambhu and Khanauri border points where thousands of farmers are camping as part of the 'Delhi Chalo' call.
After the meeting, SKM member and BKU General Secretary Yudhvir Singh told Rural Voice that tractor marches will be taken out next week. He said farmers will take out tractor marches on highways on February 26 and hold a Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on March 14.
SKM while demanding the resignation of Amit Shah and CM and HM of Haryana, ML Khattar and Anil Vij, demanded that the Punjab govt should lodge an FIR under section 302 against them and the police for the murder and injury to the protesters and damage to several tractors at the protest site. SKM has demanded a judicial inquiry by a Supreme Court judge into the firing and the damage caused to tractors.
The SKM, which spearheaded the 2020-21 farm agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, is not part of the Delhi Chalo agitation but has extended support to it. It also announced that the farmers will burn effigies of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the CM, and the state home minister.
Subhkaran Singh, 21, a native of Bathinda, died Wednesday amid clashes between Haryana Police and Punjab farmers. The incident took place when the farmers rushed to the barricades, several layers of which have been erected by Haryana authorities to prevent farmers from proceeding with their march, and clashed with police.
Farmer leaders also demanded a judicial inquiry by a judge of the Supreme Court in the matter and Rs 1 crore in compensation to the farmer's family. They accused Khattar and Vij of "orchestrating the repression" of the protesters.
The SKM has formed a six-member committee to coordinate with the breakaway factions to fight unitedly for the cause. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for crops and a farm loan waiver.
Farmers leaders had on Wednesday put the march on hold for two days. Besides MSP, the Punjab farmers are demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm laborers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases, and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21, are also among their demands.
