Detained, farmers stage dharna

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, February 23

Farmers under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Sidhupur from three districts of Malwa today started an indefinite protest at the Cheema grain market in Sangrur district. They also burnt the effigies of the central and state governments.

The police had detained them on Thursday at different places while they were going towards New Delhi to start a protest from Friday.

The police had refused to allow them to go towards New Delhi, but allowed them to go back to their homes. But the farmers did not return to their homes. Instead, they gathered at Cheema last night, creating a major headache for the police.

“We were going to New Delhi to participate in a national-level dharna with 66 other organisations. But the police detained the farmers at various places without any valid reason. The Punjab Government has been doing this on the directions of the Centre. This proves that both are anti-farmer governments,” said Jagjit Singh Dallewal, state president of BKU Sidhupur.

Senior police officers from Sangrur and Mansa are camping at Cheema to convince the farmers to end their protest. “We have deployed adequate security in the entire area,” said William Jeji, DSP Sunam.

“Our dharna will continue till the protest of other organisations in New Delhi. We were going to New Delhi to highlight the plight of farmers and raise our demands, including implementation of the Swaminathan report and complete debt waiver,” said Ran Singh Chatha, Sangrur district press secretary of BKU Sidhupur.