Chandigarh, March 4
Despite the death of 300 farmers since they shifted their agitation to the Delhi border on November 26 last year, protests have not lost steam. Besides the permanent camps at the Delhi border, Punjab is also witnessing massive gatherings all over the state.
The next major step will be the “dharnas” at various protest sites on the Delhi border, particularly Singhu and Tikri, on March 8.
An elaborate plan is being made to observe International Women’s Day as an occasion to force the withdrawal of “draconian anti-farmer laws”.
President of the Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal) Balbir Singh Rajewal put the figure of the dead at over 300. BKU (Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said about 250 persons had died due to different reasons, including cold, heart attacks and road accidents, during this period. “We got busy with other activities during our ongoing struggle, so we were not able to maintain a proper record of the deaths. We will surely do that,” he added.