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Farm leaders to announce next course of action on Friday
The farm unions had paused the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest until February 29 in the wake of Shubh Karan Singh’s death on February 21 in police action at Khanauri.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) leaders said that they will announce their next course of action on Thursday.
KMM convener Sarwan Singh Pandher said although the unions were scheduled to make their announcement today, but as the activists were busy attending the last rites of Shubh Karan Singh the decision has been deferred till Friday.
“The agitation is continuing at Shambhu and Khanauri border points,” said Pandher while speaking to reporters
The farm unions had paused the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest until February 29 in the wake of Shubh Karan Singh’s death on February 21 in police action at Khanauri.
On Wednesday, the doctors at the Government Rajindra Hospital conducted the autopsy of Shubh Karan after his family and farm outfits consented to the post-mortem examination following the registration of an FIR over his death, farmer leader Jagjeet Singh Dallewal said.
“After Punjab Police registered an FIR, we allowed the doctors to conduct the post-mortem of Shubh Karan Singh,” Dallewal said. A zero FIR has been registered (HT has the copy) at the Patran police station of Patiala. A zero FIR can be registered by any police station, irrespective of jurisdiction, when it receives a complaint regarding a cognisable offence. After receiving the zero FIR, the police station concerned under whose jurisdiction the incident happened will register a fresh FIR and start an investigation. In this case, the police station concerned is in the Jind district of Haryana. The Punjab Police have registered a case under sections 302 (murder) and 114 (abettor present when offence is committed) of the Indian Penal Code. The case has been registered against an unidentified person, according to the FIR, registered on the complaint of Shubh Karan’s father. According to the FIR, the place of occurrence has been shown at Garhi in Haryana’s Jind district. Khanauri is located near the Jind district.
SKM (non-political) and KMM are also to announce their stand on the proposal sent by SKM’s six-member committee.
SKM (non-political) convener Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that they were open to talks and united efforts. “We want more farmer organisations to join. If anyone wants to join in, they are most welcome.”
The farmers protesting to press the Centre for their various demands are staying put at the two protest sites on the Punjab-Haryana border.
The farmer leaders have repeatedly reiterated that they will not end their agitation until their demands are met while indicating that their stir may continue even if the model code of conduct comes into force.
On February 19, farmer leaders taking part in the ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation rejected the BJP-led Centre’s proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years, saying it was not in favour of the farmers.
The Punjab farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.
