Over 6,000 farmers court arrest

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra March 5

The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) and khap panchayats across the state have opened a front against the Centre and the state government following non-implementation of the Swaminathan report and “anti-farmer” policies. 

Over 6,000 farmers staged a demonstration against the BJP government outside the Pipli Grain Market while over 2,500 courted arrest. 

The protesters were to be taken to the Sonaria Jail in Rohtak in nearly 50 buses, but they were taken in different directions from where they were made to board off the buses. Following this the farmers blocked the roads. BKU (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni along with hundreds of farmers blocked the National Highway-1 near Sector 6 in Karnal, while others blocked the road in Mathana. Over 300 farmers denied to leave the spot and sat on a dharna outside the gate of the Pipli Grain Market putting the vehicular traffic to a halt. Later, the Karnal SP made Gurnam talk to the Kurukshetra SP over the phone, who assured him that they all would be taken to the jail following which they lifted their dharna. 

The decision of launching the agitation was taken at the Kisan Mahapanchayat organised to press for the implementation of the Swaminathan report and withdrawal of the Land Acquisition Ordinance. 

The farmers also blocked the National Highway No.1 for a while and raised slogans against the BJP government. However, senior police officials managed to pacify the farmers and they agreed to court arrest. 

At the mahapanchayat, the Bhartiya Kisan Union and khap leaders lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government for not fulfilling their promises made in the election manifesto.

Gurnam Singh said, “Over 20,000 farmers commit suicide ever year and 96 per cent farmers are not in a position to fulfil their families’ requirements. It is better to fight than to commit suicide.” ”Our agitation will not come to an end till our demands are met,” he added.

Anna Hazare’s representative Rajesh Sharma said, “Anna Hazare is going to give a call for an agitation against the Land Acquisition Ordinance from the Ramlila Maidan and a meeting has been called to chalk out a strategy on March 9 in this regard.” 

BKU blocks National Highway No. 1

Karnal: BKU activists blocked traffic for an hour to protest over the detention of their members at various places after they courted arrest at Pipli.  State chief of the outfit, Gurnam Singh Charuni said they had called a mahapanchayat against non-implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations. While activists courted arrest at Pipli the cops dropped the arrested members at Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar and Karnal forcing them to block the highway here. Since CM Manohar Lal Khattar was in the city it became a challenge for the administration to diffuse the situation at the earliest.