Haryana farmers begin Singhu-type stir in Sirsa

Hisar, January 30

About 20 tractor-trailers lined up and preparations afoot to erect tents, farmers have started a ‘pucca dharna’ (permanent protest) near the Mini Secretariat in Sirsa in support of their pending demands.

Prahlad Singh Barukhera, a farmer leader, claimed they had been staging a protest for the past over a week and had also met district administration officials, but “nobody seemed serious” about addressing their grievances.

Key demands

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• Withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the year-long farm agitation
• Compensation for damaged kharif crops, including cotton
• Clearing of pending tubewell connections and ensuring adequate supply of urea

“We had little option but to start a ‘pucca morcha’ on the lines of the protests at Singhu and other Delhi border points. To begin with, we have 20 tractor-trailers. Our support will swell with time.

We will stay put till our demands are met,” he stated.

The demands of the protesters include withdrawal of police cases registered against farmers during the year-long agitation over the central farm laws, compensation for damaged kharif crops, clearing of pending tubewell connections and ensuring availability of urea.

Barukhera said the number of protesters was likely to increase tomorrow when the farmers would be observing “betrayal day” on the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha.

The farmer leader claimed about 110 villages in Sirsa district had been affected due to the excessive rains in 2020 and cotton growers were yet to be compensated. Besides, cotton farmers suffered due to pink bollworm attack in 2021, he said.

Another farmer leader, Satpal Singh, said they had handed over a nine-point charter of demands to the district administration for consideration.