CHANDIGARH: Farmers' unions from Punjab are thanking various individuals, panchayats, and others, who supported their more than a year-long agitation on the borders of Delhi in different ways. The farmers called off their stir which they had started against the Union government and eventually won as the three farm laws were repealed and their other demands met.
The Punjab farmer unions have now started reciprocating the gesture to all those including farmers from Haryana and other individuals by visiting villages that are next to their protest sites near both Singhu and Tikri borders of the national capital.
Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) also has many individuals, including hotelier Ram Singh Rana who let out his entire hotel at Kundli to the farmers. Senior farmer leader and BKU (Lakhowal Group) Punjab, General Secretary,
Harinder Singh Lakhowal said: “The members of our union went and thanked the owner of the hotel who helped us a lot by giving us free accommodation. Also, the owners of a few petrol pumps who allowed us to use their premises. Many thanks to the woman tea-seller who served us tea free-of-cost. We celebrated her grandson’s birthday yesterday.’’
BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) Secretary Shingara Singh Mann said that the two-storey school building Bahadurgarh owned by the political family of Jaipal Rathee was given free-of-cost. The family used to earn Rs 70,000 rent per month for the building. “However, they didn’t charge us anything. When we told us they could invite trouble for themselves for supporting us from the establishment, they said they did not care and told us to use the building as long as we wanted. We have honoured the family by gifting them clothes and other articles,” Mann revealed.
He added: “One Karamvir who was associated with the BJP gave us four rooms and a hall in his gaushala at Bahadurgarh which we used as our office. Another family in a nearby village opened their house for us and our women volunteers. One Baljeet Singh allowed us to put a motor on his water connection. The local authorities cut down his connection and levied a heavy fine. Now as he demonstrated, the fine has been waived off by the SDM and connection restored.”
Mann said the panchayat of Naya Gaon village gave them a dharamshala where women members of the SKM stayed. The local youths of 20 villages gave them milk and vegetables for free. “Three workers’ unions of Maruti at Manesa and Gurgaon donated Rs 51,000 despite our refusal,” he said.