A photo of farmers' protest in Chandigarh on June 26, 2021
Samyukat Kisan Morcha demands withdrawal of FIRs registered against farmers by UT police
SKM to observe June 28 as Kisan Mazdoor Bhaichara Diwas
New Delhi (Singhu Border), June 27, 2021:
The Samyukat Kisan Morcha (SKM) demanded immediate withdrawal of cases registered against farmers including Punjabi artistes and activists by the Chandigarh police following the protest of farmers in Chandigarh on Saturday.
The SKM said in its recent statement that it was objectionable that the entry points have been closed by the administration to begin with, after farmers had declared their intent to peacefully march till the Raj Bhavan, after which a chosen small delegation would have gone to meet the Governor to hand over a memorandum. There was absolutely no reason to have tried to prevent the farmers from going to the Governor House. After having barricaded the roads, the police also resorted to using water cannons and lathi charge on the protestors. On top of this kind of undemocratic and authoritarian behaviour, cases are now being registered against SKM leaders.
In many places, farmers were not allowed to even take out rallies to Raj Bhavan. There were detentions and lock-ins of SKM leaders. SKM condemns this and points out that this it is an illustration of the failure of democracy and the undeclared emergency that we are going though, said the SKM.
As per the Kisan Morcha, the farmers' movement is getting stronger, despite all these undemocratic efforts by governments. More farmers are reaching the protest sites each day. There are numerous extra-ordinary protestors who are ensuring that the struggle is historical, and will also reach its logical conclusion of victory for farmers. A farmer named Satpal Singh, a resident of Mansa district was felicitated on Sunday at Tikri Border by Jamhoori Kisan Sabha. He had been part of the protest for a full seven months and was staying at Pillar Number 770 at Tikri throughout this time.
The SKM also announced that on June 28, there will be a ‘Kisan Mazdoor Bhaichara Maha Sammelan’ at Sunehra Border, under the guidance of Maulana Arshad ji. Farmers from Mewat, an area of Rajasthan and Haryana, are expected to join in large numbers along with others. This is being done in the context of constant attempts by the BJP-RSS forces bringing up communal tensions in order to break up the movement. To strengthen the values of peace, communal harmony, brotherhood and justice, the meeting is specially being organised by Samyukt Kisan Morcha and many SKM leaders are expected to participate in the same. This Maha Sammelan is a warning to communal forces intent on disrupting the unity of the movement that farmers are aware of these tactics and will remain united.
The SKM also stated that cases have been filed against 15 farmers in Hisar, who had taken part in a protest against a BJP meeting on June 25. SKM condemns the same and demands that the cases be withdrawn unconditionally immediately.
As per the SKM, a well-known American scholar, linguist, philosopher and peace activist Prof Noam Chomsky has lauded the ongoing farmers' struggle in India "as a beacon of hope in dark times". He cites evidence of the "robbery" that the richest have grabbed from ordinary citizens, and points to that evidence to argue that the Indian farmers are right in fighting against corporate control of their lives.About the recent march of farmers in Chandigarh, the SKM said that the call by SKM was a huge success given the response from farmers across India, both in capital cities and in tehsils and district headquarters. Nearly all capital cities of major states of the country witnessed farmers' resistance yesterday, in addition to hundreds of other locations where local protests were organised and memoranda submitted to local authorities, addressed to the President of India.
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