Farmers’ agitation gets a shot in the arm

Farmers in Punjab blocked highways for two hours on Sunday in protest against the police lathicharge on their Haryana counterparts as the neighbouring state government defended the police action, in which a farmer allegedly died.

None other than Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday defended the police action, saying they had promised a peaceful protest but hurled stones at the police and blocked highways.Nonetheless, the civil officer in Haryana who was seen on camera telling policemen to "crack the heads" of farmers at a protest will face action, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said.

Meanwhile, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation of farmers which is protesting against the Centre's three farm laws, on Sunday called for a 'Bharat Bandh' on September 25 on the occasion of the 10-month anniversary of the agitation.

At a press briefing at a Kisan Mahasabha in Haryana's Nuh, SKM leader Darshan Pal Singh appealed to the South Haryana-Mewat farmers to be ready to block Delhi.

All eyes are now on the Muzzaffarnagar mahapanchayat on September 5 where the contours of the ‘UP mission’ will be discussed. Said Yogendra Yadav, "The mahapanchayat will be a test for all the farmers of the country." Responding to the lathi-charge on the protesting farmers in Karnal, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said the country has been taken over by 'Sarkari Taliban' who are giving orders to "break the head" of farmers. "You will call us Khalistanis, we will call you Talibanis. We have spotted the first Sarkari Talibani of India. He is an officer in the Haryana govt (Karnal SDM who had ordered the lathi-charge)," he said.