Hansi to Tikri ‘padyatra’ to strengthen farmers’ stir

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, March 17

Farmer and worker unions engaged in the ongoing battle being fought under the aegis of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) with the Central government against three farm laws would take out a joint ‘padyatra’ (foot march) from Hansi to Tikri border to mark the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on March 23.

The yatra will be flagged off by Gurjeet Kaur, niece of Shaheed Bhagat Singh in the presence of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) chief Dr Ashok Dhawle, Punjab Kisan leader Major Singh Punnuwal, Agriculture Labourers Union national general secretary Dr Vikram Singh and SKM leader Vijoo Krishnan from Hansi tomorrow (March 18). The yatra would culminate at Tikri on March 23.

“The padyatra aims at further strengthening the ongoing farmers’ agitation by enhancing public participation in it by making the people aware of the ill-effects of three farm laws. Hundreds of representatives of various unions and social activists will participate in the padyatra. Similar marches will be taken out from Jind, Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) and Khatkar Kalan (Punjab) to reach Singhu border,” said Inderjit Singh, vice-president, AIKS, while interacting with the media here on Wednesday.

Inderjit Singh said that Hansi had been chosen for its historicity with 1857 peasant revolt against unbearable land revenue imposed by the East India Company. The revolutionary ideals of martyrs were equally relevant today as the present day rulers were behaving with the toiling masses not very different from the British imperialism. Three black laws were being imposed while the labour laws were being abolished, he added.