In a development that is being seen as a ‘win’ for the farmers’ movement, a press note issued by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Monday, 24 May, stated three announcements.
- First, the cases filed against more than 300 farmers by the Haryana Police last week will be withdrawn.
- Second, an eligible member of the family of farmer Ramachandra, who was killed in a panchayat, will be given a government job by the district administration.
- Third, the recovery of the damaged vehicles of the farmers, which were attacked by the police, will be done by the administration.
The farmers in Hisar, Haryana, protested on Monday against the First Information Report (FIR) filed last week. Arrangements for heightened security were made in Hisar in preparation for today’s protest, with special attention paid to the area around the police commissionerate, which was to be the site of the protest.
According to NDTV, the Hisar Police has registered cases against 350 farmers, with the charges for the same including rioting, attempt to murder, unlawful gathering and spreading of COVID-19 infection.
The charges are related to the protesters' obstruction of the opening ceremony of a temporary COVID hospital that was to be inaugurated by Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, a demonstration that escalated and turned into a violent clash between the police and the protesters.
What Did the Farmers Say?
The press note issued after the protest read, “Today, thousands of farmers unitedly gathered in Hisar against the atrocities on the farmers by the Haryana government. Since yesterday, the Haryana government tried to threaten the farmers through the heavy deployment of the police force and the RAF, but the farmers' spirits were high and thousands of them came in tractors, cars, jeeps and trucks.”
A delegation of farmers, including local leaders of Hisar and senior leaders of SKM, were invited to meet the administration. The statement added, “Despite all the attacks and conspiracies of the administration to defame the farmers, the administration had to call a meeting immediately due to the pressure of such a large number of farmers.”
The press note further read, “The farmers have been accused of spreading COVID. We want to clarify that due to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, COVID is being spread in the state.”
Accusing the Khattar and Deputy Chief Minister of provocation, the farmers said that by blaming the farmers, attention was being taken away from poor management of the healthcare sector in the state.
Sticking to their demand of the withdrawal of the three agricultural laws and introduction of a law on MSP, the farmers demanded the central government to stop defaming the farmers for its own failure to control the pandemic.
The agitation on Monday marked the farmers' protest against the police's booking of 350 unidentified farmers concerning the 16 May incident and to demand action against the lathi charge on them by the police that day.
According to a report by news agency ANI, the farmers planned to march from Krantiman Park to Commissioner's Office amid heavy security deployment. The farmers intended to picket the residence of Inspector General of Police, Hisar Range.
The farmers on their protest route in Hisar, Haryana.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
The protest came at a time when the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the collective body of the various farmer unions that has been heading the farmers' protest, has appealed for a countrywide protest on 26 May amid a statewide COVID lockdown.
Referring to the upcoming protest, the press note said, “All the democratic organisations of the country will celebrate 26 May as ‘Black Day’ and will give a direct message to the Centre that in a democracy, it is the people who are superior, not the government.”
WHAT HAD HAPPENED EARLIER?
On 16 May, as the chief minister landed in Hisar, farmers who have been sitting for months in protest against the three farm laws at a toll plaza in Mayyar, started marching towards the open-ground venue at the OP Jindal Modern School.
Anti-government slogans were shouted by farmers, who were agitated after being held responsible for the spread of COVID-19 in villages by Khattar and other ministers.
Once the farmers reached close to the inauguration venue, they tried to break the barricades and hurled stones at the police. However, reports suggest that police engaged in stone-pelting as well.
In order to disperse the farmers, the police fired tear gas shells and lathi-charged the protesting farmers. Eighty-five farmers were detained by the police.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha-led farmers' protest against the new, contentious agricultural laws has been in force since November last year when farmers from Punjab and Haryana arrived at Delhi's border to register their dissent and demand for the revocation of the farm laws.
(With inputs from NDTV, Hindustan Times and ANI.)
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