Radical Sikh groups support farmers' Sept 25 bandh call

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 23

Radical Sikh organisations have come out in support of farmers against the agrarian Bills.

Showing solidarity with the farmers, Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh Bittu said that besides Dal Khalsa, the activists of SAD (Amritsar) and Akal Federation have decided to join the farmers in their September 25 bandh call.

He said the BJP had been ill-treating its alliances. In Punjab, SAD has alliance with the BJP. “The saffron party has signed its political death warrant by bringing in farm ordinances. It is necessary that all Sikh parties should snap ties with the BJP which has its Hindu Rashtra agenda. If any party still maintains association with the saffron party, it would be considered as anti-Punjab party. The SAD too was cornered due to sacrilege and misappropriation of saroops and panthic authorities for their vested political interests”, he said.

Damdami Taksal president Harnam Singh Khalsa said the bandh call by farmers would be supported by them too. He said that the farmers took to streets as their interest was absolutely ignored by the Central Government.

He said the Centre should withdraw the Bills. Instead of politicising this sensitive issue of farmers, he urged the political parties not to ignore the sentiments of farmers.

“The farmers who fill the food basket of India are being ignored by the Centre with its ill-conceived policies. The farmers are still the backbone of the economy of the country. It is a matter of grave concern that the Modi government has completely failed to address the grievances of farmers who are reeling under debt,” he said.

Expressing identical views, All India Sikh Students Federation president Manjit Singh Bhoma said the federation stood like a rock with the farming community and support the September 25 bandh call.