Over 100 farmers leave for Shambhu protest

On a call given by various farm unions for a protest outside the Shambhu police station against the authorities to compensate for the belongings of farmers lost during the lathi-charge when they were forcibly asked to vacate the dharna site, about 100 farmers from this part of the region started for the site early morning today. Before leaving they gathered outside Gurdwara Manji Sahib near Khanna.

Talking to The Tribune, state general secretary Charanjit Singh Ghalib of the Bharti Kisan Mazdoor Union, said that they would join their fellow farmers at Shambhu. “The protest is for one day. We will support for our just demands. The authorities, while forcibly removing us from Shambhu border had damaged our belongings, while some went missing also. We had to bear huge losses. Today’s protest is to put pressure on the government to provide us the compensation for our losses,” said Ghalib, adding that the police might stop them from going towards the protest site, but they would not stop and keep moving on. On being asked if the farmers were ready to block the highways today, Ghalib said that they would go by what the union leaders had said.

Meanwhile, on the issue of today’s protest, the farmer unions appeared divided as the Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) was among the few farm bodies which were not taking part in this protest.

To avoid any unruly scenes, Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma confirmed that four farmer leaders had been detained by the police. Harnek Singh Ladiyan under police station, Ladhowal, Manmohan Singh under Salem Tabri and Jasdev Singh Lalton under Sadar police station have been placed under house arrest.

The farmers maintained that they had already assured the state government about their peaceful protest, still their fellow farmer leaders had been detained by the authorities. At the same time, the maximum farmers who took part in today’s protest were from Jagraon side. The leaders said that the police had already moved to the villages to stop the movement of farmer leaders.

The main demands of farmers include the suspension of the policemen who lathicharged farmers on March 19-20, FIRs should be cancelled against youth who helped farmers in getting back their belongings, FIR against AAP MLA for ‘stealing’ the belongings of farmers and compensation should be given to farmers who were injured.

Ludhiana