Khap panchayats urge people to revive stir

Tribune News Service

Hisar, January 29

The deployment of people at the Delhi borders has started from villages in the region with the khap panchayats giving a call for reinforcements at the dharna sites on the Tikri and Ghazipur borders. This follows an emotional outburst by farmer leader Rakesh Tikait last night.

The Kandela khap panchayat swung into action last night soon after Tikait’s video went viral on social media. The villagers blocked the Jind-Chandigarh highway at night for about two hours. About a dozen tractors from Kandela village went to Tikri border carrying essential items including milk, dry ration like flour, wood etc.

A farmer in Kandela village said that the BJP government has hatched a conspiracy against the farmers and they would not let this conspiracy succeed. “I was a supporter of the ruling BJP-JJP government in Haryana. But the attempt to suppress the agitation has instilled new life into it,” says Surender, a young farmer of Kandela village.

Dharan khap panchayat too held a meeting after which a jatha of farmers started for Tikri border today. Azad Singh Palwa, Dharan khap leader, said that they have urged each family to send one person of the family to the farmers’ agitation.

Many meetings were held in a number of villages in Hisar district which vowed to mobilise support for the agitation.

Joginder Maan, a farmer leader from Rajthal village of Hisar district, said that they have sent a jatha of farmers on tractors to the Delhi borders with essential items.

Saahil Kharab of Ugalan village said that the villagers have decided in a meeting held today that they would continue to raise funds and contribute financially and physically to the ongoing agitation until the demand of farmers is fulfilled.

Groups of farmers from Sisay, Budana, Kinala, Singhwa, Gurana too went to the Tikri border on tractors carrying food items.

Farmers’ organisation Bhartiya Kisan Majdoor Kisan Samnwaya Samiti president Dilbag Hooda said that they have rejected the district administration’s call to allow toll plazas to operate in the district.

Another farmer leader Satbir Singh informed that messages have been conveyed to the villages to send two persons from their respective villages everyday to the toll plaza in Hisar and five tractors from each village to Shahjahanpur border. He said that additional 10 tractors have been told to be ready from every village for emergency deployment on the Delhi borders.

The Phogat khap, Sheoran khap (both in Bhiwani district) and Satrol khap in Hisar district have given a call to members to start moving to Delhi on January 30.