‘Prepared to march on foot to Delhi’
Ready for summer season, say farmers; Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter pays visit, lends support
GHAZIABAD: Farmers’ leaders on Saturday said they are mentally preparing people for a march on foot to Delhi in the future if the government does not accept their demand for the repeal of the three new farm laws and a new law on minimum support price (MSP).
Darshan Pal, a senior farmer leader from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions, said that there were many panchayats being held in states near Delhi.
“Lakhs of people who are attending the panchayats are being readied mentally for the day when we give a call (for the march). People will come from different areas and villages and they will come afoot to Delhi. You will have to walk to Delhi when a call is given by the Samyukt kisan Morcha. We will fight and offer any sacrifice,” Pal added.
He said that they had made road tolls free in Haryana and Punjab, and that the next move will be on Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The move comes after incidents of violence were reported during the tractor rally undertaken in Delhi by farmers on Republic Day. Since then, there have been no discussions or talks held between farmers’ leaders and the government over their demands.
The last time the two parties held talks was on January 22.
‘We are prepared for summer’
The farmers’ leaders on Saturday reiterated their demands and said that the summer season will have no impact on the ongoing agitation or the strength of the gathering at the UP Gate.
“I have told leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha that there is no shortfall in numbers at UP Gate and we are fully prepared to continue protesting during the summers. Diesel will not come from the market but people will bring it like they brought water for me,” said Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait.
“In the summer, we will bring in generators of 200 kilowatt and will run coolers and air conditioners. It is not just people in the national Capital which can sleep peacefully in ACS but we will prepare large halls here where farmers will also sleep in ACS. They say that we are stealing electricity here. But we have told
the government to give us commercial electricity connections and we will pay for it,” he added.
He said a questionnaire will be prepared and that people should seek replies to it from “them” if “they” come to seek votes.
“We are ready for talks but the government should speak to us. We will be holding 15 meetings (panchayats) in one month and will set the government right. We have tied them up with protest sites at the (Delhi) borders. If they come to seek votes, you should ask them whether their MPS/MLAS have given up their pensions and also what they did to support the agitation in Delhi. We will prepare the questionnaire soon,” Tikait added.
Gandhi’s granddaughter lends support to farmers
On Saturday, the farmers at the UP Gate were joined by Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharya.
Bhattacharya, 87, spoke to farmers from the dais, saying she is not representing any political party there.
“I have come to meet the farmers. I want to tell them that we are alive just because of them. I don’t understand politics.
Please consider me as one of you. I have come here to offer prayers and the truth should win. You should prosper. I would also like to tell all of you to remove mann ki hinsa (feeling of any violence/hatred in heart) as it pollutes the ambiance. You have so much truth in yourself that you don’t need any language of violence,” Bhattacharya told farmers.
Before the arrival of farmers’ leaders at the UP Gate protest site, a group of local residents under the banner of ‘Ghaziabad Utthan Samiti’ staged a sit-in near the protest site, demanding that the National Highway 9, which is blocked due to the ongoing farmers’ protest, be opened up.
“We staged a sit-in and later vacated the site after submitting a memorandum to officials. Thousands of people are affected daily by this agitation and many of these so-called farmers. They are here for over 70 days and are blocking our highway. We want to get it vacated. In case our demand is not met, we will come here in large numbers next week and start our peaceful protest,” said Dr Ashutosh Gupta, an assistant professor with Delhi University.
We are prepared to continue protesting during the summers. Diesel will not come from the market but people will bring it like they brought water for me
RAKESH TIKAIT, BKU