Farmers pay tribute to those who died during protest

Farmers in Punjab and Haryana observed 'Shradhanjali Diwas' on Sunday to pay homage to their brethren who died during the ongoing agitation against the Centre's agriculture reform laws.

Farmers' bodies have claimed that over 30 farmers participating in the stir have died so far due to different reasons including heart attack and in road accidents.

The protesting farmers performed 'ardas' (prayer) in several villages in the two states in the memory of their departed brethren.

"At several places in Punjab, tributes were paid to farmers who died during this agitation," Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said.

Farmer leaders said they will not let the "sacrifice" of farmers in this fight against the "black laws" go in vain.

At some places in Punjab, farmers owing allegiance to the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) also took out protest marches against the BJP-led government at the Centre for not acceding to their demand for the repeal of the three farm laws.

Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh said prayer meetings were held at several places in the state in the memory of the farmers who died during the agitation.

Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Birender Singh, who is also the grandson of pre-independent India's tallest farm leader Sir Chhotu Ram, participated in a prayer meeting organised at NH-18 in Palwal.

Farmers from different parts of the country, including Haryana and Punjab, have been camping at various border points of Delhi for four weeks to demand the repeal of the farm laws.

Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of minimum support price and do away with mandis that ensure income, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

Farmers have also been demanding compensation and government jobs for the kin of those who died during the agitation.