Farmers take out victory march in Gurugram

A group of farmers from villages in the district on Wednesday took out a victory march in their cars and tractors from Rajiv Chowk to Sadar Bazar to mark the successful conclusion of their protest against the Centre’s three contentious farm laws.

Some leaders of left parties and local workers also participated in the march titled ‘Mazdoor Vijay Yatra’. The farmers had been protesting against the farm laws at Rajiv Chowk for the last one year.

Yudhvir Singh, general secretary, Bharatiya Kisan Union, who presided over the event, asserted that the protest movement of farmers led by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) saved democracy in the country. “Farmers from all castes and communities came together in this fight. I just want to tell the people that farmers from Punjab, Haryana, UP and across the country managed to defeat a powerful government due to their unity,” he said.

Santokh Singh, president of SKM, Gurugram, said that backtracking on three laws was a political decision taken by the BJP government because of the upcoming state elections. “The government was expecting that farmers will get tired and return to their homes but we proved them wrong,” he said.

“We will never surrender before the capitalists who are trying to monopolize the agriculture sector and industries in the country,” said SL Prajapati, secretary, Gurugram unit of CPI (M), who participated in the rally.

The BJP said that the party believed in the ideology of nation first, and the Prime Minister had categorically said that he had brought the laws in the favour of the small and marginal farmers and he was taking these back in the interest of the country. “Political battles would be fought in political arenas. The small and marginal farmers for whom these laws were beneficial are also a family as are the ones protesting. It is our promise that upliftment of farming community would not be like garibi hatao slogan by those who ruined this nation for decades,” said Raman Malik, spokesperson, Haryana BJP.