Protesters put off stir till Aug 22

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 18

The farmer unions, staging a protest on the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway for the last nine days, today postponed their stir till August 22 due to the state-level Barnama Kisan Rally of various farmer unions.

The farmer unions have been staging a protest after farmer Tek Singh committed suicide on August 9. The unions have been demanding the arrest of accused Suresh Bahia, a commission agent of Rampura Phool, who was booked by the Rampura Sadar police station on the basis of a suicide note, in which it was mentioned that he was taking this step as he was harassed by Suresh Bahia due to loan.

The protesters staged a protest from August 10 and blocked the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway near Jethuke village and due to this protest commuters have faced lots of problems regarding traffic. Even the Bathinda police had diverted traffic towards various villages, but traffic snarls have taken place in the past nine days.

Today, Master Sukhdev Singh Jawanda, block president of Bhartiya Kissan Union (Ugrahan), said they had postponed this protest due to a state-level rally of farmer unions in Barnala on August 22 and all the leaders of BKUs have started preparing for this rally, which will be conducted to make pressure on the state government for loan waiver.

After this rally, we will take action in this matter on August 23 and the state government will be responsible for this, he added.

“The body of farmer Tek Singh will be kept in the Civil Hospital, Rampura Phul, and cremation will be taken place only when we get justice and our agitation has been still on,” Master Sukhdev Singh added.

Mothu Singh Godra, district vice-president, BKU (Ugrahan), Dr Naib Singh Jiyond, Hardeep Singh, Harpreet Kaur Jethuke and Bakhsish Singh Jiyond said the government was not serious regarding ours demands and after August 22, we would again start the agitation and it would end only if the demands would be accepted.

Before ending their stir, the protesters again raised slogans against the Punjab police and the state government and demanded the arrest of commission agent Suresh Bahia, compensation for the victim’s family and loan waiver.

On the other hand, the Arhtiyas’ Association of Punjab has already given an ultimatum to the Punjab police for dismissing the case against Suresh Bahia, commission agent.

Traffic has resumed on the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway after nine days.