Ludhiana farmers protest killings in Lakhimpur Kheri

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, October 4

On the call given by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) various organisations of farmers today held a protest in front of the DC’s office at Mini Secretariat here demanding registration of a murder case against all guilty persons, including the son of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra.

The protesting farmers, led by activists of the Ekta-Ugrahan, Sidhupura, Dakaunda, Kadian factions of the Bharti Kisan Union along with those of the Kirti Kisan Union, observed a two-minute silence to pay homage to the “martyred” farmers.

Speakers at the dharna said the power-drunk Modi government is behaving in a repressive and dictatorial manner with the ongoing farmers’ protest and the yesterday’s violence in Uttar Pradesh against peacefully protesting farmers was a naked dance of hooliganism. “Let the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and the Modi government at the Centre clearly understand that farmers would not be deterred with such highhanded treatment and they would continue their protest till the acceptance of all demands, including revocation of farm-related Acts,” said the farmer leaders.

District secretary of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) Sudagar Singh Ghudani and other speakers demanded that the UP Government ought to maintain law and order in the state and take stern action against perpetrators of violence as per law of the land to restore a sense of security among the farmers and other people in the state.

Meanwhile, Youth Akali Dal (YAD) workers, led by district president and party spokesperson Gurdeep Singh Gosha, took out a candlelight march to express their solidarity with farmers’ protest and to pay homage to those killed in violence at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. Gosha said the heinous crime against peacefully protesting farmers is in fact a crime against humanity which has created widespread resentment among all sections of people.

He said for more than a year, farmers have been protesting at Delhi borders against the farm-related Acts of the Modi Government. But rather than dispensation of justice to them, the peacefully protesting farmers are being run over under the vehicles of BJP leaders and also being targeted by repressive BJP governments at the Centre and in the state of Uttar Pradesh.