Thursday noticed practically 3,000 khet mazdoors (farm labourers) attain Delhi’s Tikri and Singhu borders in about 50 autos from Punjab. The farm labourers from Muktsar, Sangrur, Bathinda, Mansa, Moga, Barnala, Ferozepur and Fazilka districts are marching beneath the banner of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU), which is working in coordination with the BKU (Ugrahan).
“While labourers had been going to the Delhi borders in trolleys with farmers, this is the first time that such a large, single batch has left. They left in buses, tempos and vans,” stated Zora Singh Nasrali, president PKMU.
“We will be staying at Tikri on January 8 and at Singhu border on January 9 before starting back for Punjab on January 10. Earlier, the labourers were busy in cotton picking in Punjab and Rajasthan’s fields and they came back to their villages only recently. Moreover, a number of them were not convinced that they need to participate in this movement, which is focusing on the three farm laws as they considered them farmer oriented,” added Nasrali.
He added that the labourers had been satisfied to participate within the stor after being knowledgeable how the three legal guidelines may also have an effect on them. “More such batches will go to Delhi borders if the demands are not met by the Centre,” added Lachman Singh Sewewala, normal secretary of PKMU.
The convoy of the khet mazdoor was welcomed in Bathinda by numerous unions of lecturers, workers and college students. The convenor of those unions, Varinder Singh, additionally introduced a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to the PKMU.
Tarsem Singh Khundehalal, travelling with the convoy stated,”To create a divide, it’s being stated that dalits aren’t a part of this wrestle. Now, we’re right here at Delhi border to reply that allegation.”
Harbhagwan Moonak from Moonak space of Sangrur district stated, “If contract farming is allowed, the khet mazdoors will be equally affected”.
Apart from farm labourers, members of the Zamin Prapati Sangrash Committee (ZPSC), an organisation of landless farm labourers, will likely be going to Delhi on January 23.Mukesh Malaud, president of ZPSC, stated, “Around 7,000 of our members — all landless farm labourers — will be going to Delhi. They too are going to be equally affected (by the farm laws). We will sit on a separate road at Delhi to mark our presence rather than merging with the gathering there”.
