Canecharge will only unite us: Tikri protester

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, August 31

The lathicharge on Haryana farmers has further strengthened the resolve of differently abled Nirmal Singh (69), who has been at the Tikri border ever since the protest against the central farm laws began last year.

Also read:

Karnal incident: Haryana Chief Secretary seeks report on SDM Ayush Sinha’s role

Karnal Lathicharge: Punjab CM refutes Khattar’s farm welfare claim

Lathicharge: Youth Cong’s bid to gherao Haryana CM’s camp office foiled

Nirmal, who works as cashier for BKU (Ugrahan) at his Hathan village, says he will now return only after the laws are withdrawn. “The brutal assault on farmers is condemnable as all have the right to protest. In the past, we faced the force and are ready to stand up for our rights now also. Sticks cannot scare us away,” says he.

Nirmal, whose both hands and arms were chopped off in 1982 after they got stuck in a fodder preparation machine, believes the lathicharge incident will motivate more farmers to reach Delhi borders.

Kuldeep Singh (63), the younger brother of Nirmal, says they are three brothers and own six acres of land. He has been with Nirmal since he joined the Tikri stir last year and helps him perform daily chores. “We are already under debt and the central farm laws will only add to our problems,” says he.

Avtar Singh, another farmer, says the strong determination of Nirmal and his brother is a big motivation for all. “Whenever we feel demoralised due the long agitation, Nirmal Singh shares his tales of earlier agitations and how he fought for the famers’ rights to bring our focus back on the larger goal,” stresses Avtar.