Farmers opposing the Centre’s agriculture sector laws, accompanied by members of the Left-leaning organisations, staged a ‘chakka jam’ (stop wheels) agitation in several cities across Rajasthan on Thursday. The protesters blocked roads, held demonstrations and burnt effigies of BJP leaders.
A group of farmers from the State joined the protest at Singhu along the Delhi-Haryana border, while a large number of agriculturists were mobilised by the Kisan Mahapanchayat in Alwar district to stage a demonstration on the Rajasthan-Haryana border. They extended their support to farmer leaders holding talks with the Central Ministers in New Delhi.
Block highway
Representatives of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), labour unions, the CPI, the CPI(M), the CPI(ML), the Rajasthan Nagrik Manch and the Samagra Seva Sangh blocked the National Highway-8 near Jaipur for two hours. Some of the activists, who were stopping the vehicles coming from Delhi, clashed with the police. The traffic was diverted to other routes.
AIKSCC State coordinator Sanjay Madhav said the participants in the demonstration, held near Surajpole Mandi on the highway, expressed solidarity with the farmers protesting on the outskirts of Delhi. Leaders addressing the protesters said the BJP government at the Centre was not only working against the interests of farmers and labourers, but also against the public at large.
CPI(M) leader Ravindra Shukla said the Centre should withdraw the farm laws without delay. “Such a large number of farmers are raising their voice against these legislation, but the government is not willing to fulfil their demands,” he said.
‘Sadbuddhi yagna’
The Congress Seva Dal members organised ‘sadbuddhi yagna’ (good sense offering) at several district headquarters and submitted memorandums to Collectors, urging the President to repeal the three farm Acts. Seva Dal president Hem Singh Shekhawat said the Centre had brought the controversial laws to give “benefits to industrialists”.
Hundreds of farmers from 27 tehsils of four districts in Kota division took part in a rally and marched through the city’s main roads with their tractor-trollies, raising slogans and holding banners and placards in their hands.
The farmers in Sriganganagar district marched to the Punjab border to show their solidarity with the farmers in the neighbouring State. Demonstrations were also held in Bikaner, Nagaur, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Hanumangarh and Barmer districts.