RANJITPUR (YAMUNANAGAR): As senior farm leaders of Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) have got busy in schedule of addressing several back to back panchayats in protest against the Centre’s three agri-marketing laws in the region and other states, they have handed over the command of addressing panchayats to young workers.
Son of Naresh Tikait, Gaurav Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni's son, Harshpal Singh Charuni on Sunday addressed a panchayat under the banner of ‘Sanyukta Kisan Majdoor Morcha’ held at new grain market in Ranjitpur village of Bilaspur sub-division of Yamunanagar district.
The young farm leaders gave a call that the farmers will not return home until the Centre’s laws are repealed and a law is made to guarantee minimum support price (MSP).
Thousands of farmers attended the panchayat at Ranjitpur.
Among the key speakers were Gaurav Tikait, Harshpal Charuni, Atul Kumar Anjan — member of National Commission on Farmers (famously known as Swaminathan Commission), and Navdeep Singh who had climbed to the top of police water cannon in Ambala while moving to Delhi with farmers.
The panchayat was jointly organised by activists and leaders struggling for the rights of farmers and labourers including Matlub Saravan, Noor Mohammad, Jora Singh, Hoshiar Singh, Sultan Singh, Mehtab and Sanju Gundiana district president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Charuni), and leaders of BKU (Tikait).
In his address to farmers, chief guest of this panchayat, Gaurav Tikait said, “The central government is not serious on the issue of the farmers. So far, it has not done anything that has been demanded by the farmers but it is making policies arbitrarily. In the movement, you will have to keep an eye on the power of the country along with your farm, this fight is between the sannyasi (monk) and the satyanashi (destructive) government and fight it firmly. The farmers will not return to their homes until the black laws are repealed and a law to guarantee MSP is made by the government.”
Gaurav paid tribute to the farmers who died in this agitation and said, “We will have to keep their sacrifices in mind.”
Harshpal Charuni said, “This struggle is of farmers, labourers and of every section, who are connected to the country’s sand. We have to take care that this movement continues until the laws are repealed. Due to anti-people policies of the present government, every section of the society is worried and the farmers and labourers will have to give a befitting reply to the conspiracies being done against them in the coming elections.”
Navdeep Singh, who was booked under attempt to murder charges after he climbed up water cannon, is now a key youth speaker on stages of panchayats and he addresses purely in Puadhi Punjabi (dialect spoken between Sutlej and Ghaggar areas in Punjab, Haryana including Chandigarh) language.
Navdeep said, “The farmers are sitting at Delhi borders for nearly 200 days now, but the government has not listened to their demands. Over 200 farmers have been martyred. We want to ask PM Modi where are the 2 crore jobs which were promised by him before coming to power? Today, a large number of government sector organisations have been privatised. The youth will give a befitting reply in the coming days.”
BKU (Tikait) Haryana state president Rattan Mann said, “All farmers should obey the instructions given from Sanyukta Kisan Morcha. No call has been given to destroy crops, therefore, the farmers should not mow down crops with tractors. There should be a kheti hadtal (farming strike) in the entire country to open the eyes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”