After assurance from admn, farmers end fast unto death

Tribune News Service
Bathinda, November 17

Four farmers under the banner of the BKU (Ekta) Sidhupur ended their fast unto death on the seventh day here on Saturday.

They decided to end the fast after the district administration accepted their demands at a meeting held on Saturday evening.

Deputy Commissioner Praneet, four district food and supply officials and members of eight BKU factions were present at the meeting.

The farmers had been observing the fast in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office for the past seven days to protest against “tardy” procurement of paddy from mandis in the district.

DC Praneet said SDM Amarinder Singh Tiwana got the hunger strike of four farmers ended by offering juice to them.

The DC and Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Sukhpreet Singh Sidhu assured the farmers that all of the paddy lying at grain markets in the district would be lifted within a day while paddy in Mansa, Muktsar and Faridkot districts would be lifted within next 72 hours.

They also said if farmers faced any problems, these would be resolved immediately. The DC and ADC added that if any official did not resolve the problems, strict action would be taken against him or her.

Resham Singh, a leader of the BKU (Ekta) Sidhupur, said, “We have called off our hunger strike as the district administration has accepted our demands. The administration has ensured that the remaining crop will be lifted within next 24 hours.”

He said on Saturday, it was the third meeting with the district administration as earlier, two meetings did not bear fruit. The farmers’ leader said on Saturday, the administration accepted their demands and they had called off their protest.

On November 11, four farmer leaders — Baldev Singh Sandoha, Sukhdev Singh, Ujagar Singh and Major Singh — started observing a fast unto death till the government streamlined the purchase and lifting of paddy lying at the grain markets in the state.