Rakesh Tikait strikes a chord, numbers swell at Singhu

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Sonepat, January 29

After an emotional appeal by BKU leader Rakesh Tikait from the Ghazipur border, a large of farmers were on their way to join the protest at the Singhu border on Friday.

Farmers from various districts of Haryana and Punjab arrived in large numbers to strengthen the stir. They boosted the morale of protesters by chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’, ‘Kisan mazdoor ekta zindabad’ and ‘Haryana Punjab bhaichara zindabad’.

Anmol Rana of Sonepat said the stir got renewed energy after the Ghazipur incident. He criticised snapping of electricity and water supply at Ghazipur and said these acts would not stop farmers.

Kulbhushan of Sonepat said the farmers’ protest would reach new heights in the days to come. “The Red Fort incident was unfortunate, but the stir would continue,” he said.

Farmers from Punjab were hopeful that the numbers would increase in the days to come. “We are happy that black sheep have been exposed. More people will join the stir as a large number of Punjab farmers are on the way,” said Karnail Singh of Fatehgarh Sahib.

Ranjeet Singh Bajwa of Hoshiarpur said scores of farmers who had left after taking part in the tractor parade were coming back. “Tikait’s appeal has given new energy to the protest,” he said.

Meanwhile, volunteers have raised vigil at the dharna site after the Friday’s clash.