Punjab Govt mulling plans to set up memorial in the name of farmers’ agitation

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• Nov 20, 2021 | moderator

Chandigarh: A year-long agitation that saw the death of nearly 700 farmers during the farmers’ agitation has finally come to an end. There was celebration, distribution of sweets as trumpets, dhols played in the background and farmers broke down into a jig after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the repealing of the three contentious farm laws.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday announced that a memorial in the name of all the farmers from the state who lost their lives during the farmers’ agitation will be set up in the state.

“After Independence, if there was any big struggle, it was this (farmers’ agitation against three farm laws) which strengthened the democratic system in the country,” he added.

Blaming the Centre for “thrusting” the farm laws on the farmers the Chief Minister in an official statement said, “The BJP led Central government should admit on record to have made a Himalayan blunder in bringing these bills for which is hardly bothered to even relent for the past one and a half years.”

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Mr. Channi said the Punjab government had already provided government jobs to the victim families of farmers besides financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to each family of the deceased farmers who sacrificed their lives in the agitation. “We will set up a memorial in the State for the farmers who lost their lives during the agitation,” he said.

The Chief Minister asked the Prime Minister to immediately announced a financial package to provide relief to farmers and labourers reeling under the huge burden of debt, besides demanding the Centre to make its stand clear on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and public procurement of crops.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab president and Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Mann termed the announcement by the Prime Minister a victory of the masses, a victory of the nation. “The Narendra Modi Government has delayed the repeal of the black farm laws and nearly 700 farmers lost their lives during the one-year struggle.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Modi Government are responsible for the martyrdom of the farmers. It would have been better if the Prime Minister had also announced the Minimum Support Price on crops; then the farmers would have happily returned to fields,” he said.