Mobilise, not coerce people to join stir: Farm unions to panchayats

PATIALA: After hundreds of panchayats across the state passed resolutions issuing a diktat to people to join farmers’ agitation on the borders of Delhi, farmer unions have asked that such intimidating directions are not to be issued. The directions also threatened non-farmers with fines and social boycott, in case they did not join the stir.

Bhartiya Kisan union (Ugarahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan said, “Panchayats have the right to appeal people to people to join the ongoing stir, but they should not threaten them with fines and social boycott.”

Farmer unions believe that instead of passing such resolutions, the panchayats should sensitise people to join farmers’ protest voluntarily, as all unions are fighting for both farming and non-farming fraternities. The panchayats also insist that at least two members from each family must join the protest.

“This is not the policy we approve of. Panchayats should hold meetings and rallies in their respective villages and appeal to people to become part of these protest so that our demand of repealing the three draconian laws reaches its logical conclusion. We appeal to panchayats to mobilise people and ask them to join protests at toll plazas and residences of BJP leaders,” Kokri Kalan added.

BKU (Dakaunda) general secretary Jagmohan Singh said panchayats should not compel people to become part of farmers’s protest. “Panchayats should ask villagers, who are not able to join the protest at Delhi borders physically, to contribute in other ways,” he said.