‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ at Khanauri on Jan 4
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha on Saturday decided to convene a “Kisan Mahapanchayat” at the Khanauri protest site on January 4. Farmers from all over the country, including Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, would participate in the mahapanchayat, sources said.
SKM (Non-Political) leader Kaka Singh Kotra said Dallewal had expressed desire to address farmers on January 4. It was an open invitation to all farmers of the country to participate in the mahapanchayat, he added.
Farm leader from Haryana Abhimanyu Kohar said during the Supreme Court hearing on the issue of Dallewal’s health, the attitude of the Solicitor General, a representative of the Union Government, was neither in accordance with democratic values nor the sentiments of farmers.
Neither the Centre nor the Supreme Court was ready to pay attention to the farmers’ demands. After the SC hearing, Dallewal released a video message on Saturday. He asked the farmers and youths to be vigilant as the government might try to forcibly remove him from the protest site.
BKU (Sirsa) state president Baldev Singh Sirsa alleged the Centre had been pressuring religious personalities, artistes and NRIs not to back the farmers’ movement, otherwise they would have to face serious consequences. He warned the Central Government that in case it initiated any action against such persons, the morcha would extend full support to them.
Dallewal said he was astonished to know that instead of issuing an order to the Centre to accept farmers’ demands, the SC ordered the Punjab Government to initiate harsh steps in his case. He said the SC declined to issue any order to the Centre. He said it seemed the SC also wanted farmers to be fired upon by government agencies as stringent orders had been passed in his case.
Dallewal said he wanted to clarify to the SC that these were not their demands, including a law guaranteeing MSP, these were the promises made to them by the Centre and that they were now fighting for these in a peaceful manner. He said even the SC-appointed committee and the parliamentary committee on agriculture had emphasised on “MSP guarantee law” and waiving the loans of farmers. He said the SC should have ordered the Centre to fulfil demands of the farmers, instead of initiating harsh steps against them. He said he did not know who had given a report to the SC that he was being kept in “custody” by the people. He said he was not observing fast under anyone’s pressure.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, SAD(A) president Simranjit Singh Mann and Sonam Wangchuk from Ladakh visited Khanauri to enquire about the well-being of Dallewal.
