Farmers Protest Against Modi Govt. Attacked by Police Near Delhi

Farmers' march from Ramlila Maidan to Parliament Street in Delhi (file photo). Courtesy: CPI(M)
Farmers’ march from Ramlila Maidan to Parliament Street in Delhi (file photo). Courtesy: CPI(M)

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) – a leading farmers’ union in India – today condemned the “barbaric police action” on protesting farmers at the borders of Delhi.

The farmers’ rally organized by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has been peacefully marching as part of Kisan Kranti Yatra from Haridwar since 23 September raising the demands of the peasantry. They were to reach the Kisan Ghat today, 2nd October, 2018.

“Instead of allowing the farmers to come to the National Capital Delhi and raise their demands, the insensitive BJP Government led by Narendra Modi imposed Section 144 and used force to stop them at the Ghazipur border (Uttar Pradesh-Delhi Border),” AIKS said in a statement.

The statement added that police resorted to use of brute force, lathi-charge, water cannons, and teargas on the farmers at the UP Gate on National Highway 24 to disperse farmers.

“Delhi belongs to farmers too; the manner in which they have been stopped from coming to the National Capital to air their grievances is most undemocratic,” AIKS complained.

On the one hand, according to AIKS, the Modi-led BJP Government tries to portray itself as pro-farmers by spending crores of rupees on propaganda; on the other hand, it has dealt with farmers’ protests and genuine demands in the most insensitive manner.

State Governments led by the BJP have also dealt with farmer protests brutally, the statement added. Earlier, hundreds of thousands of farmers and workers had gathered in Delhi for the Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally on 5th September, 2018 called by AIKS, CITU and AIAWU.

From 28th November, 2018 under the banner of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee an issue-based unity of more than 200 farmers’ organizations, a Kisan Mukti March will be organized from 3 corners of Delhi to the Parliament.

According to AIKS, all sections of the society have been adversely hit by the anti-people policies of the BJP Government: price rise, demonetization, GST, and rampant corruption.

The nation will come out in support of the farmers and express solidarity with them. If the BJP Government continues with its anti-farmer, anti-people policies, we will intensify protests in coming days and an atmosphere will be created for their defeat, AIKS said in its statement.

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Rakesh Raman