Famers’ protest at 65 days: Shambhu rail blockade continues to second day

Hyderabad: The Kisan Andolan 2.0 completed 65 days at the Shambhu and Khanori borders. The protest by the farmers continued for the second day on the Shambhu railway track demanding the release of the farmers arrested by the Haryana Police.

In a public notice, farmer unions, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political), said that some among the protesting farmers such as Navdeep Singh Jalvera, Gurkeerat Singh and Anish Khatkar have been arrested by Haryana Police on false charges.

“It has been a month since Anish Khatkar is on hunger strike in the jail. The sensitivity of the BJP government and Haryana Police has completely ended. Farmer leaders said that the railway track jam will continue until the youth are released,” the farmers said.

“Today, a large number of women spoke from the stage on the Shambhu railway track and warned the government not to consider farmers as weak. In this fight for their rights, women are standing shoulder to shoulder with men and will make sacrifices when the time comes,” they added.

The farmers claimed that on April 17, BJP leader Mukhtar Singh in Amritsar came to Bhittewad at around 4 pm during BJP’s election campaign, when some BJP leaders pelted stones at farmers and labourers in the presence of police administration, in which farmer leaders were injured.

“The police officers present at the spot did not stop the BJP people from attacking the farmers at all and the police administration kept watching the show,” the farmers alleged. Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and SKM (non-political) strongly criticised the ‘hooliganism of BJP’ and warned that BJP should not test the patience of farmers and labourers.

Farmer leaders also claimed that the Punjab Police arrested the farmers for showing black flags when they questioned the BJP candidate in Moge. Farmer leaders warned the Punjab Government and Punjab Police to stop torturing farmers and labourers at the behest of the BJP and take immediate legal action against BJP leaders who pelted stones at farmers.

Farmer leaders asked the Punjab government to issue appropriate compensation as soon as possible for the crops damaged due to hailstorms in Punjab.

The farmers had earlier announced to block the Shambhu railway track on April 9 demanding the release of the youth and other administrative demands, but the administration broke the promise to the farmers and did not release the youth. Due to this, farmers permanently blocked the Shambhu railway track from April 17. Punjab Police tried to stop the farmers from moving towards the railway track, but the farmers managed to block the railway track by removing all the obstacles. Farmer leaders announced that the railway track will remain there until the youth are released. It was also announced that more railway tracks would be blocked in the coming days.