3 March
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
In a solemn ceremony in Bathinda, the last prayers for Shubhkaran Singh, a young farmer fatally shot at the Khonri border, were offered. Leaders of various farmer unions, including Sarwan Singh Pandher of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, attended the event. Pandher announced a significant protest on March 10, declaring a nationwide train halt from 12 to 4 p.m.
Expressing solidarity, farmers from states other than Punjab and Haryana are invited to travel to Delhi on March 6, aiming to reach the capital by various means, including buses. Pandher challenged the Modi government, questioning whether they would permit the farmers’ sit-in protest in Delhi.
Dhandher, leader of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Sanyukta Kisan Morcha in Punjab, emphasized that on March 6, farmers from across India, excluding Haryana and Punjab, will independently make their way to Delhi. This move aims to test the government’s commitment to allowing farmers to enter Delhi without tractor-trolleys.
Pandher drew attention to the unprecedented use of drones during the agitation, likening the border to that between Pakistan and China. He criticized the government’s deployment of tear gas shells via drones and highlighted the lack of specific laws governing the Haryana-Punjab border.
The agitation, met with 70 thousand security forces, resulted in farmers passing four resolutions. The first resolution demands immediate registration of FIRs against the central and Haryana governments, holding them responsible for Shubhkaran Singh’s martyrdom on February 21, 2024.
As tensions escalate, the nation awaits the outcome of the planned protests, questioning the government’s stance on the farmers’ demands and their right to peaceful dissent.