People hit the streets in show of solidarity, burn copies of 3 laws
Call for rejecting contentious legislations gets an overwhelming response in all cities and towns of Punjab on the festival
AMRITSAR/LUDHIANA/ BATHINDA/PATIALA/SANGRUR : Students, social activists, and political leaders across Punjab on Wednesday came out in a show of solidarity with the farmers protesting against the Centre’s agriculture laws and marked the festival of Lohri by burning the copies of the contentious legislations in bonfire.
In the Patiala district, student unions organised street plays, discussions, kavashiris and pefomerd folk songs in protest against the central laws.They were joined by members of some teacher unions. Also, farmers under the banner of various unions gathered at the Dhareri Jatan toll plaza and staged a protest before burning the copies of laws.
In the district headquarters, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers staged a protest and burnt the copies.
In the Majha region, farmer organisations such as the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, political parties, religious bodies, social groups and human rights organisations supported the call for celebrating the festival by burning the copies of the laws.
Farmers organised demonstrations in towns and villages in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts. In Amritsar city, AAP workers raised slogans against the Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Also, activists of the Dal Khalsa, a radical outfit, and its youth wing burnt the 100 copies of the laws.
In Ludhiana city, AAP state president Bhagwant Mann and leader of opposition Harpal Cheema burnt the copies of the farm laws at the party office. Party MLAs Sarabjit Kaur Manuke, Budhram, Baljinder Kaur, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Kulwant Pandori, Amarjit Singh Sandoya, Baldev Singh Jaito were also present.
“The SC has not repealed the farm laws and just put a stay. People have lost faith in the court due to some judgments in the cases related to BJP leaders, including PM Narendra Modi,” said Mann.
In Sangrur and Barnala districts, farmers, members of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and AAP besides activists of human rights unions burnt the copies of agriculture laws at different places. In Barnala town, farmers burnt the copies at the city railway station and outside the residence of district BJP chief Yadwinder Shanty.
In Bathinda city, residents and students joined the ‘kisan ekta march’ called by social activists. Riding on bikes and four-wheelers, the protesters started a march from Model Town and moved through various parts of the city. Earlier, a number of Dal Khalsa activists carrying black flags as a mark of protest carried out a tractor march.
Also, nearly 1 lakh copies of the three laws were burnt at the Singhu border alone, said Paramjeet Singh of Samyukta Kisan Morcha.
Tractor rally: AIKSCC appeals for massive mobilisation
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee said it has appealed to all districts within a radius of 300 kilometres of Delhi to make massive mobilisation for the tractor parade in the national capital on Republic Day. “All should assemble at the borders a day before for the parade,” it stated in a press release.