Farmers hold protests to mark one year of Lakhimpur Kheri violence

Tribune News Service

Patiala/Fatehgarh Sahib/ Muktsar, October 3

A year after farmers were run over by a car allegedly driven by Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 last year, members of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) held a protest in Patiala and expressed their dissatisfaction with the Centre.

The farmers said thye want Ajay Mishra Teni be sacked and farmers languishing in jails be released.

The farmers held a dharna outside the District Administrative Complex in Patiala and burne an effigy of the Centre. They later submitted a memorandum to the district administrative authorities.

The protest left parts of the city roads blocked. Farmers said the water issues of Punjab should be resolved according to the international riparian law and demanded the release of arrears of sugarcane procurement.

In view of the upcoming paddy season, the protesters said the state government should increase the compensation for managing paddy straw without burning to Rs 6,000 per acre. They further said, “Managing paddy straw without a hike in compensation is not viable for us. We are being forced to burn the paddy straw. The government should increase the compensation too.”

In Fatehgarh Sahib, various farmers’ unions today paid tributes to the farmers who died in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident by organising a bhog ceremony at Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup Sahib. The farmers marched from the gurdwara to the DAC and raised slogans against the Modi government. They also burnt an effigy of Ajay Mishra.

Addressing the farmers, Harnek Singh, Sarbjit Singh, Harmel Singh and others said a year ago, the protesting farmers were killed in Lakhimpur and the accused was still a BJP minister in the Centre. They said resentment prevails among the public and particularly the farmers across the country were against the BJP.

In Muktsar too, the farmers burnt an effigy of the Centre to mark the first anniversary of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, which claimed eight lives. The protesters demanded Ajay Mishra’s dismissal and handed over a memorandum to the DC in this regard.

Dharna on rail tracks

• Farmers and farm labourers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee stopped trains at 24 places across Punjab on Monday from 12 noon to 3 pm over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident
• The farmers squatted on the railway tracks in Moga, Basti Tainkan Wali in Ferozepur city, Mansa, Barnala, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Ropar and many other places

Several trains hit

Due to the protest, over 11 trains in the Ferozepur railway division were affected. As per information, six trains were cancelled and five were rescheduled. Commuters faced a tough time due to the agitation. OC

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