Expressing solidarity with farmers who are on their way to New Delhi seeking the withdrawal of the new farm laws, members of the Raita Krishi Karmik Sanghatane (RKS) took out a protest march in Dharwad on Thursday.
All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sanghatan (AIKKMS) has expressed solidarity with farmers from across the nation who are trying to enter New Delhi since November 26 in their bid to get the new laws repealed by the Union government. The members of RKS, which is affiliated to AIKKMS, marched from Dr. Mallikarjun Mansur Kalabhavan in Dharwad to Vivekanand Circle where they staged a demonstration and burnt the three new laws in effigies.
The farmers are agitating in New Delhi seeking the repeal of Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 to which the President has given his assent after they were passed by Parliament.
Dharwad district president of RKS Laxman Jadagannavar said that the Union government signed the death order of farmers according to the wishes of the country’s corporate houses. “The Union government has misused the COVID-19 lockdown and meted out injustice to farmers and the working class. Farmers who had hitherto patiently suffered are now up in arms against the government,” he said.
Mr. Jadagannavar said that the hidden agenda of the Union government which was acting at the behest of corporate houses had been exposed now. The government which was claiming to be saviour of farmers through the One Nation, One Market programme had now been exposed as the farmers had now understood its real intentions. The Centre had already taken privatisation measures in the Railways, education, health, postal, transport, banking and insurance and now, it was trying to hand over the farming sector on a platter to the corporate houses, he said.
He strongly condemned the use of force against the protesting farmers and the use of water canons and lobbing of tear gas shells on farmers and said that the government had least regard for farmers.
District secretary Sharanu Gonawar said that despite the government’s repeated efforts to break farmers unity and disrupt the peaceful protest, the movement was getting stronger day by day much to the despair of the ruling disposition. He also condemned a section of the media and a few corporate houses, which, he said, were trying to link the farmers agitation with the Khalistan movement and project them in bad light. The farmers would go ahead with their fight as several organisations and individuals had expressed solidarity with them, he said.
Solidarity Week
Meanwhile, All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) has launched Solidarity Week in support of the farmers agitation against the three new farm laws. District secretary of AIDSO Ranajit Dhoopad has said that students would hold various programmes and stage protests in support of the farmers till December 10.