Farmers' Protest: Won't withdraw stir till farm laws repealed, says farmer unions

Banga, Mar 23: The umbrella body of the farmer unions protesting the Centre's farm laws held a rally to mark "Shaheed Diwas" on Tuesday and said they will not withdraw their stir till the legislations are repealed.

March 23 is observed as "Shaheed Diwas" to pay tributes Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, who were hanged on this day for killing British police officer JP Saunders. The farmers' gathering was earlier to be held at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh, but the venue was shifted to Dana Mandi at Banga because of inclement weather.

The programme was attended by several Punjabi singers. Several Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders who addressed the gathering reiterated that nothing short of repeal of the farm laws would make them withdraw their agitation. They are prepared for a long agitation, the farmer leaders said.

Addressing the gathering, Punjabi singer Babbu Maan urged the Centre to repeal the laws. Maan appealed to farmers' organisations across the country to unite under one banner to save their interests. Earlier, the state-level martyrdom day function, an annual feature, was cancelled at Khatkar Kalan in the wake of a surge in coronavirus cases.

Punjab Cabinet Minister Sunder Sham Arora paid floral tributes at the memorial to the freedom fighters on behalf of the state government. "Khatkar Kalan now has become a source of inspiration for the future generations of the country," he said on the occasion.