Covid norms go for a toss as KMSC holds mega rally
Event witnesses a large gathering of farmers and farm labourers with just a few wearing masks; social distancing norms not maintained
AMRITSAR : The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) on Sunday held a ‘maha rally’ at the Bhagatanwala grain market in Amritsar city against the Centre’s three contentious agriculture laws and announced its next course of action.
The rally witnessed a large gathering of farmers and farm labourers with only a few seen wearing masks. Also, the protesters did not adhere to Covid-19 protocol of maintaining social distancing.
Addressing the gathering, committee’s state general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “The Modi government is planning to remove the protesters from the Delhi borders on the pretext of containing the pandemic. The farmers and labourers protesting there will not let the Centre succeed in its plan as it has endangered the future of our coming generations by selling out our interests to some corporate houses, World Trade Organization (WTO), World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”
The farmer leaders also raised concern over tardy lifting of wheat from the mandis.
Hardeep Singh Dibdiba, whose grandson Navreet Singh died during a tractor parade taken out by the protesting farmers in the national capital on January 26, also addressed the gathering.
Committee’s state vice president Sawinder Singh Chutala said, “The Punjab government should ensure quick lifting of grain or we will stage protests. If the farmers are harassed in grain markets, effigies of Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be burnt at villages from April 21 to 25. Also, the government must compensate the farmers whose crop was damaged by hailstorm and rain.”
A jatha (delegation) of thousands of farmers will leave Amritsar for the Kundli border near the national capital to intensify the protests against the agriculture reform laws on May 5, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leaders announced.
A large number of women participated in the rally.
PThe Modi govt is planning to remove the protesters from the Delhi borders on the pretext of containing Covid. But the protesting farmers will not let the Centre succeed in its plan SARWAN PANDHER, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee state general secretary