Singhu Border, 9 October (Sangrami Lehar Bureao)- In a specially-organised press conference at the Press Club in New Delhi today, several SKM leaders addressed the media and shared the farmers’ plans for ensuring that their demands in the Lakhimpur Kheri Farmers Massacre are met. In response to the massacre by BJP leaders and workers, SKM will launch a peaceful and democratic mass movement for justice. SKM reiterates once again that it is not satisfied by the action by the government so far. SKM is demanding that the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Mishra Teni, should be dismissed from the Government and arrested on charges of spreading disharmony, murder, and criminal conspiracy, and also that Ashish Mishra (his son) and his associates (amongst whom, names of Sumit Jaiswal and Ankit Das have surfaced), accused for murder in a registered FIR, should be immediately arrested.
On the call of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, October 12 will be marked as ‘Shaheed Kisan Diwas’ across the country. SKM appeals to the farmers of Uttar Pradesh and all over the country to pay tribute to the martyred farmers by attending the Antim Ardas (Bhog) on October 12 at Tikonia, Lakhimpur Kheri. SKM appeals to all farmer organizations to organize special prayer meetings or tribute meetings for martyr farmers at their respective places on that day at Gurudwara, Temple, Mosque, Church or any public place, toll plaza or morchas. Candle marches will be organized on October 12th in the evening. SKM also appeals to all the just citizens of the country to light five candles in the memory of the five martyrs outside their houses on that evening.
If the demands of the farmers are not met by October 11th, SKM will launch a nation-wide protest program. There will be a Shaheed Kisan Yatra taken out from Lakhimpur Kheri to all districts of UP and to all states of the country, by carrying separate asthi kalash to all these places, with asthi of the martyred farmers. The yatra will conclude at a holy or historical place in every district/state. On Dussehra, effigies of BJP leaders like Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and local leaders will be burnt across the country, on October 15th. On October 18th, there will be a Rail Roko organised from 10am to 4pm. On 26th October, there will a Mahapanchayat organised in Lucknow.
SKM notes that Ashish Mishra Teni appeared for interrogation in the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre case today, after failing to appear at the Crime Branch office in Kheri yesterday. It is reported that interrogation is still going on, at the time of release of this press note. SKM is waiting for his arrest, Ajay Mishra Teni’s arrest and arrest of others involved.
Preparations are in full swing for the Allahabad Panchayat to be held tomorrow in village Udhagi in Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh. This Panchayat will not only demand the repeal of the 3 anti-farmer laws and the arrest of Lakhimpur Kheri farmers’ killers but also raise livelihood issues of stone quarry workers, sand workers and oppose mafia control of natural resources. The Panchayat will raise issues of loss of livelihoods of stone quarry workers, and sand workers who operate on boats. Several SKM leaders are expected to participate in this Panchayat.
SKM condemns the attack on the National Vice President of All India Kisan Mahasabha, Subhash Kakuste in Sakri Dhule in Maharashtra. Subhash Kakuste (69) is also the President of Shramik Shetkari Sangathana Maharashtra. Yesterday, masked unidentified goons attacked him at his residence in Sakri, and warned him of dire consequences if he opposes Modi government, organising rasta roko and submitting memoranda as part of the farmers’ movement. He was one of the key leaders to have organised the recent Shetkari Samvad Yatra that covered 13 districts of Maharashtra. SKM condemns this cowardly attack on Subhash Kakuste, and announces that farmer leaders are not going to be cowed down by such dastardly acts. SKM demands that Maharashtra government take prompt action in identifying the culprits and taking legal action against them.
Yesterday, in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar, farmers gathered with black flags to protest against BJP Minister Arvind Pandey’s program in village Khempur and the Minister was forced to cancel his physical participation in the event. Black flag protests against BJP leaders are intensifying across several states.
On the 11th of October, in Hanumangarh of Rajasthan, there is a call for protest by farmers, to ensure that the police official (Naresh Gera) responsible for brutal lathi charge on peacefully protesting farmers is dismissed. Farmers are being asked to gather in large numbers at the district collectorate at 11am on the 11th of October.