Amidst the ongoing farmers’ agitation, Gurnam Singh Charuni, the leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union, declared on Thursday that tolls in Haryana would not be paid for three hours on Friday. This would be followed by a tractor procession in every Tehsil the next day and a collective meeting of all farmers’ and labor organizations on Saturday.
These decisions were made during a meeting of Bharatiya Kisan Union office-bearers convened by Charuni earlier today. “Today, three decisions were made: firstly, we will ensure Haryana remains toll-free for 3 hours tomorrow, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.; the day after, there will be a tractor procession in every Tehsil, starting at 12 pm; on February 18, there will be a joint gathering of all farmers’ and labor organizations,” Charuni informed reporters.
“Further decisions will be taken during this gathering,” he added. Charuni holds significant influence in Haryana, although he is not actively participating in the current protests. However, he was part of the protests in 2020-21.
Meanwhile, the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by farmers from Punjab against the central government continued into its third day on Thursday. A meeting between farmer unions and the central government is scheduled for Thursday at 5 pm to address the issues at hand.
The farmers have presented 12 demands to the central government, prompting their march to Delhi. The protest has been organized by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.
According to the protesting farmers, the government had promised them better crop prices, leading to the conclusion of the 2021 protest. They are now demanding the enactment of a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, aligning with the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report.
Additionally, they are demanding a complete waiver of debts and the implementation of a pension scheme for farmers and farm laborers.
