Indians abroad drumming up support for farmers' protest

The support from the Indian diaspora all around the world is rising in favour of the farmers’ protest. After a rally was held in California on Wednesday, another car rally will be organised in Surrey, Canada, on December 13 to mark the 10 months of the agitation.

Confirming the same, farm leader Sharwan Singh Pandher said the rallies were being organised by immigrants to bring the attention of people living in the West towards the protest in India.

“Car rallies are being held to show the conditions of unarmed farmers, who were injured after tear gas shells were lobbed at them, as they were marching on foot towards Delhi from the Shambhu border and were denied entry into Haryana by police and paramilitary personnel,” said Pandher.

The immigrants in California have also decided to observe a day-long fast to express solidarity with farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal whose fast unto death reached Day 17 on Thursday.

While farmers are busy garnering support from singers and spiritual leader ahead of their December 14 protest march on foot towards Delhi, Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu said farm leaders should not send Merjeevda Jatha towards Delhi and engage in dialogue instead.

Bittu, who was visiting Patiala, said he was open to talk to farmers and take up their issues with the government, while urging them to end their protest. He said Dallewal’s health was being monitored by a team of doctors.

On the other hand, farm leaders said since they had been sitting at the border since February 13, Bittu was free to come and talk to them. Farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said Bittu should refrain from making such ludicrous statements.

“We are urging for a formal discussion, which could bring out a fruitful result. If Bittu is serious then he should go to Delhi, bring a formal letter from the government and engage in talks to resolve the issue,” said Pandher. He reiterated that the next ‘Marjeevda Jatha’ of 101 farmers would begin its foot march towards Delhi on December 14. Previous two attempts on December 6 and 8, respectively, were thwarted by the Haryana Police and paramilitary personnel as the tear gas shells were lobbed at protesters, leaving nearly 30 farmers injured.

The SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha appealed to the people of the country to skip dinner to express solidarity with both outfits and SKM (Non-Political) convener Jagjit Singh Dallewal.

He has been observing an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border since November 26.

The protesters have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces.

The farmers have been demanding a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP), debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases (against farmers) and ‘justice’ for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.