Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 25

As people of Punjab prepare to observe a “black day” on Wednesday on the completion of six months of farmer protests on the borders of Delhi, Kisan Morcha members have renewed their resolve to continue the struggle, saying it will be a long haul.

Ready for long haul

The struggle will continue until the farm laws are repealed. We owe it to those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle and to our future generations. - Sukhdev S Kokrikalan, BKU Gen Secy

Across Punjab, farmers have formed jathas and continued to proceed in large numbers towards the Delhi borders. Families of farmers, mainly women, distributed self-stitched black flags today, urging people to hoist these tomorrow, as a mark of solidarity with farmers.

The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has appealed to all sections of society to support them, says Jagmohan Singh Patiala, leader of the morcha. Political leaders, cutting across political spectrum, have also lent their support to farmer protests.

With almost 500 farmers having died during the course of the struggle - as claimed by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and All-India Kisan Federation — farmers say that their sacrifices will not go in vain.

“The struggle will continue until the laws are repealed. We owe it to those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle and to our future generations,” says Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan).

It’s been six months and Ajaib Singh of Mallan village in Muktsar has been on the Tikri border, protesting against the farm laws. “I do miss my family, especially my grandchildren, back home. I have not met them even once, only talk to them on the phone. But I will go back only after the three laws are repealed,” he says.

He is one of the farmers who have been sitting on a dharna on the borders of Delhi for six months now. Neela Singh (67) of Peori village in Gidderbaha, who has been part of the morcha since November 26, says that he and others like him cannot go back till the laws are repealed and the Electricity Amendment Act and the commission on the Air Quality Management is withdrawn. “If I go back, my grandchildren, when they grow up, will ask me why I did not fight for their right to livelihood?”he asks.

Amarjit Kaur, a fiery woman farmer leader from Barnala, who has been staging a dharna near the Barnala Railway Station everyday since October 1, says that the long course of the struggle has not exhausted them. “Rather, our zeal to fight against the laws remains as fervent. People like me go to the dharna site everyday fighting for our right, because we understand that struggles yield results,” she says.