‘Quit WTO Day’ | On SKM’s call, farmers protest against WTO by parking tractors along highways

SKM farmers came on tractors from their villages and parked the vehicles on one side of the highways with banners of ‘Quit WTO’ on them.

“We demand that agriculture should be taken out of WTO agreement. It is high time the government understands the concerns of farmers,” said Sukhmandar Singh, president of BKU (Rajewal) from Fazilka district.

“Farmers have realised the threats to agriculture sector due to the agreements of India with WTO. It is high time the consumers also understand them,” said Darshan Pal, member, national coordination committee (NCC), SKM.

SKM farmers came on tractors from their villages and parked the vehicles on one side of the highways with banners of ‘Quit WTO’ on them. (Express Photo)

The SKM call for “Quit WTO Day” was observed with tractor parades in more than 400 districts across India, said Avik Saha, NCC member, SKM.

SKM, which spearheaded the 2020-21 farmers’ stir, had announced to hold ‘Quit WTO Day’ demonstration from 12 noon till 3 pm on Monday wherein they parked their tractors along the state and national highways without obstructing vehicular traffic.

In Punjab’s Hoshiarpur, farmers parked their tractors at several locations, including the Jalandhar-Jammu National Highway. Led by Doaba Kisan Committee’s state president Jangveer Singh Chauhan, farmers also parked their tractors on a road at Bijli Ghar Chowk in Tanda.

Addressing a gathering, Chauhan criticised WTO policies, calling those “anti-farmer”.

Members of several other farm outfits such as Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal), BKU (Qadian), BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) also held demonstrations and parked their tractors on Hoshiarpur-Phagwara Road, Nasrala-Taragarh Road, Dosarka-Fatehpur Road, Bullowal-Allowal Road and Bhunga-Hariana Road.

The protesters also demanded legal guarantees for minimum support price (MSP), debt waiver, implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations and pension for farmers.

In Amritsar, farmers parked their vehicles along the highways in Ajnala, Jandiala Guru, Rayya and Beas. In Ludhiana, farmers owing allegiance to the SKM, parked their tractors along the highway on Ludhiana-Chandigarh road to register their protest against the WTO.

In Haryana’s Hisar, farmers held protests at 50 locations by parking their tractors along the state and national highways.

All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) state vice-president Shamsher Singh Nambardar said the demonstrations were held at places, including Surewala Chowk, Mayyar Toll, Chaudhariwas, Bagla Mor, Badopatti and Bas Toll. He claimed that the government was not giving MSP on all crops because of WTO policies.

Meanwhile, the deadlock between the Punjab government and the ‘Dilli Chalo’ farmer unions continued even after five days of death of Shubhkaran, a native of Bathinda, who succumbed to a fatal injury on the back of his head in a clash at Khanauri recently. His body is still lying in the mortuary of Rajindra Medical College and Hospital, Patiala.

The SKM call for “Quit WTO Day” was observed with tractor parades in more than 400 districts across India, said Avik Saha, NCC member, SKM. (Express Photo)

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, coordinator of SKM (non-political), said, “It is high time the Punjab government speaks up for the farmers. The CM (Bhagwant Mann) has been calling himself a friend of the farmers, so he must act now. What is stopping him to lodge an FIR against the guilty officers of Haryana and the ones who ordered to open fire on unarmed people at the protest site.”

KMM coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher said although there has been no development in talks, “we (Pandher and Dallewal) appreciate the move of the Centre to restore internet connection in Haryana and Punjab. The internet restrictions are only in a km area of Shambhu and Khanauri. This is a good thing. The government needs to normalise things before any further talks. Now, they (Punjab government) need to act on the persons who killed Shubhkaran”.

He added, “This dharna will continue till our demands are met. Even after the model code of conduct comes into force owing to the upcoming parliamentary elections, this protest will continue. The government may not take any action on the pretext of model code of conduct, but we have nothing to do with the elections.”

Pandher also said that KMM and SKM (non-political) were getting huge support from across the country, apart from Punjab and Haryana. “Farmer unions from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, UP, Bihar, and Rajasthan are supporting our struggle,” Pandher added. He appealed to women living in nearby areas to come in large numbers and join the dharna during daytime.

The effigies of WTO were burnt in many villages and also burnt at Shambhu and Khanauri.

“Farmers themselves made these effigies and burnt them at the two borders on Monday afternoon,” said Tejveer Singh, spokesperson for BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), Haryana.

When asked if Punjab government has made any attempt to approach them, Pandher said, “No. Not yet. They (government) haven’t approached after the victim’s family rejected their compensation offer, as they (family) want justice first. The victim’s body is still lying in the mortuary. CM Mann had claimed that he is the advocate of farmers. Now, where has that advocate gone now?”

At the two borders, protesting farmers are using trolleys attached to their tractors as temporary homes (makeshift camps). During daytime they sit on durries spread for the dharna. The dharna location is about 300 metres from the first barricade at Shambhu and Khanauri as well.

“No one goes to that 300-m stretch now. It is like a no man’s land,” said Ramandeep Singh Mann of BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), Haryana.

In that 300-m stretch, tear-gas shells and rubber bullets were fired, water cannons were used by Haryana security forces to disperse protesting farmers from Punjab when they had tried to break the barricades.

A meeting of the forums associated with SKM (non-political) and KMM will be held on Tuesday at the protest sites. A common meeting of SKM (non-political) and KMM forums will be held on Wednesday.

Pandher said, “Let’s see what the government says, we will announce our next plan of action on February 29.”

Also, SKM is planning to organise a mahapanchayat at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on March 14 for which it will be seeking permission from the Delhi Police and other administrative authorities, said Avik Saha, NCC member, SKM.

While SKM – a flagship organisation of more than 500 farmer unions – is not part of ‘Dilli Chalo’ march, it has stood in solidarity with KMM and SKM (non-political). It continues to organise independent protests in solidarity with the protesting farmers to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for crops.

SKM has also demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of Shubhkaran, besides a murder case against Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Home Minister Anil Vij and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. It has also demanded resignation of Amit Shah and Khattar over this incident.

According to a statement released by SKM on Monday, farmer leaders squarely blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for conspiring to unleash repression on Punjab farmers. They alleged that it was an attempt to isolate Punjab and make electoral use of this in the rest of the country.

NCC members of SKM alleged that Haryana CM Khattar and Home Minister Vij had illegally and unconstitutionally sent forces across the state border to fire bullets, pellets and tear-gas shells on farmers and damage hundreds of farmers’ tractors stationed at the protest sites.

(with PTI inputs)