COURTESY HT JAN 15

Mewat farmers start sit-in protest
Sadia Akhtar

sadia.akhtar@htlive.com

Gurugram : Farmers from Mewat on Thursday started a sit-in protest at Sunhera-Jurehra, near Punhana at the Rajasthan-Haryana border. The farmers decided to start the protest after they were prevented from proceeding towards Delhi. Around 300 people are currently participating in the sit-in that has received support from farmer leaders at other protest sites in the region, protesters said.

This is the third such sit-in protest taking place in the region. Farmers from different states have been camping at Jaisinghpur Khera, at the Rajasthan-Haryana border, for over a month now, while another set of farmers are camping at Dharuhera in Rewari.

“Today is the third day of our protest. Farmers from Haryana and Rajasthan came together on Tuesday and we decided to walk towards Delhi to join the farmers’ movement. The Haryana police didn’t allow us to proceed ahead so we started a sit-in protest,” said Maulana Arshad Meel, a native of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, who is spearheading the protest.

Meel said that the laws are against the interest of farmers and would adversely affect the region, since a major chunk of the region’s population is dependent on farming for sustenance.

He said that the Haryana-Rajasthan Mewati Kisan Andalon (movement) will continue till the three laws are repealed. “The majority of the people in Mewat are into farming. While some have land holdings, others work as labourers in the fields. These laws could disfranchise farmers of their land and make them vulnerable to exploitation,” said Meel.

He said that farmers from Nuh, Palwal, Alwar and Faridabad had extended support to their agitation.

“We will continue to support the farmers’ agitation till the three laws are repealed. Regardless of harsh weather conditions or pressure from the police, we will persist with our protest,” said Meel.

Siddique Ahmed Meo, a social activist from Nuh, said that the protest had been initiated by farmers in Rajasthan and Haryana. He said that outreach efforts are being carried out in villages to increase awareness about the new farm laws and their consequences. “We are making efforts to make farmers aware of the dangers posed by these laws. A sense of awakening and understanding of the laws is developing gradually,” said Meo.

He said that around 85% of the population in Nuh was associated with farming. “Some people have smaller landholdings, while some have bigger landholdings. However, bigger landowners such as the ones in Punjab or other parts of Haryana are not found here,” said Meo.

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Jawahar Yadav said that farmers should go home and understand that the implementation of the three laws had been stayed by the Supreme Court. “Currently, the laws have been stayed. Farmers should go home and reflect on the various aspects of the laws till the committee formed does its job,” said Yadav, maintaining that the laws were in the interest of farmers.