India: Salute heroic Resistance of Farmers all over Punjab

From Democracy and Class Struggle:

By Harsh Thakor

SALUTE HEROIC PROTEST OF FARMERS ALL OVER PUNJAB RADIATING THE SPARK OF RESISTANCE AGAINST THE RUTHLESS POLICIES OF THE RULING CLASSES.HAIL THE UNITY OF LANDED PEASANTRY WITH LANDLESS AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS

A massive protest in almost all districts of Punjab was unleashed by a joint front of 13 peasant organizations like the Ugrahan,Dkaunda ,Krantikaru factions of the Bharatiya Kisan Union,the Punjab Khet Mazdur Union,both faction sof t Pendu Mazdur union and the Punjab Khet mazdur union and the Kirti Kisan Union.

The framers gheraoed the homes of the ministers of all the districts displaying their great resilience to win justice and showed great determination in resisting the police blockade in Moga.

The gatherings were particularly large at Bathinda and Patiala with around 3000 people assembling.It testified the great potential of the Punjab peasantry to convert a spark into a prairie fire and the importance of a united front of organizations from so many trends.

Above all it  raised the demands of the landed peasants and the landless dalit labourers which would lay a base for unity of the landed and landless sections of peasantry and not isolate the dalit landless community..

Tribune News Service
Sangrur, December 19

A 55-year-old farmer, Darshan Singh, of Sadopur village (near Malerkotla) allegedly “consumed” some poisonous substance at a dharna organised by 12 farmer and labourer organisations near Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa’s residence here today.

He was taken to the Civil Hospital here, from where he was referred to Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala.

The protesters came to know about the incident when Darshan started vomiting there. Some people said he consumed some poisonous substance as he was under a lot of stress due to debt.

Sandeep Wadehra, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Sangrur, said this evening that Darshan Singh was in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Government Rajindra Hospital.

Earlier, the protesters gathered at the local BSNL Park here, from where they marched towards the residence of Dhindsa while raising slogans against the government and in support of their demands.

The demands include loan waiver for debt-ridden farmers and farm labourers, 10-marla plots for landless farmers and labourers for constructing houses and cancellation of “dummy auction” of panchayat land reserved for SCs in Jhaloor village (near Lehragaga).

In Moga, protesters gun for Agri Minister

Moga: Hundreds of farmers marched towards the residence of Agriculture Minister Tota Singh on the national highway but the police stopped them just a few yards away. They blocked the national highway for a few hours.

The protesters raised slogans against Tota Singh, accusing him of the pesticide scam and the supply of substandard seed that resulted in repeated crop failures and the whitefly attack in the last few years.

General Secretary of the BKU (Ekta) Sukhdev Singh Kokri said,

“Farmers and farm labourers are under great stress, resulting in suicides. The government needs to come to the farmers’ assistance.”