SKM held a meeting here on Thursday to discuss the situation at the borders (File)
Chandigarh:
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Thursday demanded a case be registered against the Haryana Chief Minister and Haryana Home Minister for the “murder” of a protesting farmer at the Punjab-Haryana border and announced a tractor march next week.
SKM announced that farmers will observe ‘Black Day’ in the country on Friday to mourn the death and burn effigies of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and state Home Minister Anil Vij.
It said that farmers will take out tractor march on the highways on February 26 and organize All India Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat on March 14 at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.
SKM, which led the 2020-21 farm agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, is not part of the Delhi Chalo movement but has extended support to it.
Shubhakaran Singh, 21, a native of Bathinda, was killed on Wednesday amid clashes between Haryana Police and farmers from Punjab.
The incident occurred when the farmers moved towards the barricades, several layers of which had been put up by Haryana authorities to stop the farmers from proceeding with their march, and clashed with the police.
SKM held a meeting here on Thursday to discuss the situation at Shambhu and Khanauri border points, where thousands of farmers are camping under the ‘Delhi Chalo’ call.
Speaking to reporters here, SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said a case of “murder” should be registered against Khattar and Vij and both should resign.
Farmer leaders also demanded a judicial inquiry into the case by a Supreme Court judge and a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the farmer’s family.
Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan condemned the “repression” of farmers sitting at Shambhu and Khanauri border points by the Haryana government.
“We have decided to burn the effigies of Home Minister Amit Shah, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Haryana Home Minister Anil Shah,” Mr Ugrahan said.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that on February 26, a tractor march will be taken out on the highways and the effigy of the World Trade Organization will also be burnt because the farmers do not want the agriculture sector to remain under the purview of the international body.
Farmer leaders also accused Mr Khattar and Mr Vij of “plotting repression” on the protesters.
Farmer leader Darshan Pal said that the deceased farmer had a loan of Rs 15-16 lakh and it should be waived off.
SKM has formed a six-member committee, including Rajewal, Ugrahan, Darshan Pal, to coordinate with the breakaway faction – Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) – to fight unitedly.
Asked whether the SKM would join the ongoing protests at two points on the Punjab-Haryana border, Mr Rajewal said the SKM was running its agitation independently.
Many SKM leaders from Punjab, Haryana and other states participated in the meeting.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are leading the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march to put pressure on the government to accept their demands, including legal guarantee of MSP for crops and farm loan waiver. .
Farmer leaders had on Wednesday halted the march for two days following the death of a farmer, later identified as Shubhakaran Singh, and had said they would decide on their next course of action on Friday evening.
Apart from MSP, Punjab farmers also demand implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariffs, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for victims of 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. are doing.
Restoring the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensating the families of farmers killed during the previous agitation in 2020-21 are also among their demands.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
