Thye ongoing farmers' agitation has entered the 122nd day today and the protestors have decided to mark the Holika Dahan festival by burning copies of the contentious Farm Laws near the Delhi Haryana border. According to the farmers, they will burn copies of the farm laws as part of Holika Dahan — a pyre lighting ritual symbolising the victory of good over evil, an asura, on the eve of Holi.
BKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait will lead the farmers on Sunday by burning the copies of the Bills.
"Farm Bills not acceptable"
Tikait appealed to the farmers that during the Holika Dahan, farmers should burn copies of Bills in their villages. “It will help in making the government understand that the Bills are not acceptable to farmers,” he said.
He said it is part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s programme. “On Monday, instead of using colours, farmers will apply farm soil as tilak on the forehead of fellow farmers as a tribute to farmers who lost their lives during the protests.”
He further said farmers were ready to stay at the protest site till Diwali if the laws were not repealed and a new law, that guarantees the MSP, is not made.
Jharkhand farmers come in support
Farmers in all 24 districts of Jharkhand will be lighting copies on the occasion of Holika Dahan.
As per the call of Sanyuk Kissan Morcha leader we would be lighting copies of the draconian three farm laws. We are already making copies of the farm laws at all the block level and they will be circulated amongst the farmers. The lighting of the copies of the farm laws will be done as part of the Holika Dahan rituals on March 28 across the country and we would also be a part of it to demonstrate our protest against the three farm laws,” said Sufal Mahato, state convenor of Jharkhand Rajya Kissan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti, as quoted by The Telegraph.
Farmers from across India have been protesting against the three new farm laws that were passed by the central government in September 2020. According to the protesting farmers, the new laws might leave them at the mercy of private corporations and end the minimum support price (MSP) for important crops.