Farmers’ body to step up stir ahead of Haryana Assembly elections in October

Hisar, July 5

Ahead of the Assembly elections, the farmers’ body, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non political) has decided to intensify its activities in the state and at the national level.

Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar while addressing a press conference in the Jat Dharamshala here today said they had decided to organise a ‘kisan-mazdoor mahapanchayat’ in Haryana in the first week of September to raise the issues related the farmers and workers community.

“Even though the farmers have been raising the issues for a long time, there is still no concrete assurance from the BJP government at the Centre and in Haryana to consider our demands. We have now decided to step up our stir,” he said.

Kohar said they would submit copies of a memorandum to all 303 non-BJP MPs across the country on July 8 to urge them to introduce a private Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament on the demands of the farmers and labourers.

“If the opposition leaders do not bring a private bill in Parliament, it will be considered that they too are not serious about the issues of farmers,” he said.

Kohar said they had also raised the issue of the arrest of young farmer leader Navdeep Jalbera on March 28 by the Haryana Police who was tortured by the police after the arrest. “This is inhuman and reflects the dictatorial mind-set which is unacceptable in a democratic society,” he said. The farmers of Punjab and Haryana would gather in large numbers in Ambala on July 17 to surround the Ambala SP office to press for the release of Navdeep Jalbera, he added.

The farmer leader said that before the Assembly elections in Haryana, they will launch an awareness campaign in all districts of Haryana from July 20 and district-level farmers-labourers conferences before a national-level mahapanchayat in September.

The farmers also held a meeting which was attended by farmer leaders Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh, Rajinder Singh Chahal, Dashrath Malik, Harshdeep Gill, Raju Sehrawat, Rajesh Kirmara, Angrez Khera, Jaswinder Dhull, Balwan Lohan, Jangi Lohan, Ram Mehar, Krishan Majra, Jagbir Berwal, Omprakash Mandi, Gurpinder Singh, Chhailuram Singh, Krishan Malik, Jagbir Dhandheri and other activists.