FARMER GROUPS ANNOUNCE ‘ANTIM ARDAS’ IN TIKUNIA ON OCTOBER 12

LAKHIMPUR KHERI: Farmer groups have announced that “antim ardas” (last prayers as per Sikh rituals) will be held on October 12 for the deceased Sikh farmers at Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district, where eight people, including four farmers and a journalist, were killed on October 3.

A poster under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha of Lakhimpur inviting people to pay their last respects to the farmers killed in the violence was circulated in Lakhimpur and the nearby districts on Saturday. The poster states that the “antim ardas” for the farmers will be held at the Maharaja Agrasen Inter College ground in Tikunia.

Satwant Singh, an officebearer of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha in the district, said: “The antim ardas will be held peacefully in Tikunia. We will seek permission from the administration for the same.”

Mandeep Singh, the son of farmer Nachhatar Singh, who died in violence, said the family is yet to decide the place where the “antim ardas” of his father will be held. The deadline given by farmer leaders to the Uttar Pradesh government for meeting their demands in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident ends on the day the “antim ardas” is scheduled.

The farmer leaders are demanding the resignation of junior home minister Ajay Mishra Teni, and his arrest along with his son Ashish Mishra, who is the main accused in the incident.

According to government sources, the local administration has started making preparations for the event. Lakhimpur Kheri district magistrate Arvind Kumar Chaurasiya said, “The family members of the deceased farmers have not approached us regarding any such programme. The administration will think it over in the light of the recent incident and prohibitory orders.”