Tens of thousands turn up at Nuh Kisan Mahapanchayat
Piyush OhrieGurugram: As Kisan Mahapanchayats have taken north India by storm after a clarion call by Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, in a major show of strength, farmers from South Haryana and Rajasthan gathered in the tens of thousands in Sunehra village to voice their protest against the Centre's three agri laws and its treatment of protesting farmers at Delhi's borders.
It is estimated that there were over 15,000 to 18,000 people that had gathered for the Mahapanchayat in Nuh district.
Significantly, what is worrying the Haryana government is that support for the farmers' cause is increasing steadily in South Haryana. Local villagers, khap panchayats and several farmer unions from the area have thrown their weight behind the agitating farmers.
Understanding the significance of this major gathering in South Haryana, major political leaders and unionists also arrived in Nuh.
Gaurav Tikait, son of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait spoke to the crowds at Nuh as his father attended the massive Mahapanchayat at Charkhi-Dadri. Gaurav said, "I demand that there should be a fair inquiry of what happened on January 26. Farmers have also donned the role of soldiers and have sacrificed their lives for the country. We can never be anti-nationals. We are just demanding our rights to repeal farm laws as we fear that in the future it will harm the farming community."
Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni, who is also consolidating political capital in light of the protests, was present at the rally as well. Politicians such as Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and Congress MLAs from the area also showed their support.
Coming down heavily on the Central Government, all the leaders who spoke to the crowd mentioned how there were deliberate attempts to malign the protestors and tarnish their image.
Knowing the importance of gaining public support, various
farm leaders are now becoming part of several mahapanchayats and encouraging farmers and villagers to join protests.
