Farmers burn effigies of Haryana Govt across India in protest

Farmers burn effigies of Haryana Govt across India in protest

Nationwide Protest: Farmers burn effigies of Haryana Govt over controversial Medal Recommendation

Ferozepur, August 1, 2024: Today, under the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha-SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha-KMM, farmers across states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, burned effigies of the Haryana BJP government. The protest was sparked by the Haryana government’s recent recommendation to the central government to award police officers involved in firing on farmers with the President’s Medal.

Farmers’ leaders compared the incident to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, where General Dyer was honored by the British government despite ordering troops to fire on unarmed Indians. They warned that awarding the officers responsible for the February 13, 14, and 21 shootings would be a “Black Day” for Indian democracy.

In Uttar Pradesh, farmer leaders reported being placed under house arrest in districts like Aligarh and Sambhal to prevent them from participating in the demonstrations. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) announced plans for a nationwide tractor march at district and tehsil levels on August 15, and a major farmers’ rally on August 31 at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders to mark 200 days of the farmers’ movement.

To further strengthen the movement, public meetings will be held on August 27 in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, and on August 29 in Hubli, Karnataka. Additionally, national-level farmers’ rallies are scheduled for September 1 in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, September 15 at Uchana’s new grain market in Jind, and September 22 at Pipli grain market in Kurukshetra.