Chhavi Bhatia
Chandigarh
The standoff between the farmers and the Haryana government isn’t showing any signs of abating anytime soon with state Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Gurnam Singh Charuni hardening his stance towards the government. Charuni, who has been holding meetings across Haryana as the state gears up for, panchayat and civic body polls said farmers will continue to protest against the Khattar government and boycott all political visits. He said they won’t be intimidated by FIRs while warning the state police of not unleashing brutality on peaceful peasants.
In his recent visits to Kaithal, Charuni said the farmers won’t back down either from their demands or from agitating against the BJP-led government. “We cannot be cowed down with FIRs. Already 40000 farmers have been booked by Haryana police under various sections. Police complaints and lathicharge cannot suppress our movement. We have been going as strong,” he said. The firebrand leader also lashed out at chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar for the assault on farmers in Karnal on august 28 that left one farmer dead and several grievously injured. “This is nothing but misuse of state machinery. We are back to living in the British era where head of states order their police to crackdown on defenceless, innocent citizens fighting for their rights,” he said. “There is no humanity left in this government and those who run it. They treated us like criminals while we are then ones who put food on their plates.”
Reacting to Khattar’s statement that the government will take strict action if farmers try to disrupt law and order in the garb of stir, Charuni maintained that the fight will continue unabated. “We are willing to even sacrifice our lives to protect our lands and livelihood. Over 600 of our people have lost their lives till now. This won’t go in vain,” he asserted. The leader also urged farmers to not vote for those who don’t support the farmers’ protest, in the upcoming local body elections.
Charuni also remained firm on the demand of Rs 25 lakh as compensation and a job to the son of the farmer who died in the Karnal lathicharge, and Rs two lakhs each to those injured plus strict action against Ayush Sinha, the IAS officer who ordered the brutal crackdown on the farmers on August 28.