Farmers, including women, came out in large numbers in around a dozen districts across Haryana to protest against hike in fuel prices, in response to a call by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a coalition of hundreds of farmers’ unions spearheading the agitation against the three farm laws.
Inderjit Singh, vice-president of All-India Kisan Sabha, Haryana, claimed that protests were held at 60-odd points across the State with the participation of non-farming people, besides the farmers. He said the reports of protests were received from several districts, including Sirsa, Fatehabad, Bhiwani, Hisar, Jind, Kaithal, Rohtak, Panipat, Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar among others.
Farmers parked their vehicles in rows for two hours in front of administrative offices all over the State and also honked horns for eight minutes as a symbol of resentment against the drastic fuel hike which has impacted all sections, said Mr. Singh.
He said that the prices had been unjustifiably increased more than 55 times since January this year though the prices of crude oil in the international market had remained low.
Jogender Nain, president, BKU (Ghasi Ram), Haryana, speaking to protesters at Tohana said the diesel price hike had enhanced the cost of production and added to the woes of farmers. Suresh Kumar, Centre of Indian Trade Unions leader, led the workers in the protest at Landhari toll plaza in Hisar. He said that workers too were hard pressed and losing their livelihood and would join hands with farmers now.
Yogendra Yadav, founder, Jai Kisan Andolan, said the protests had demonstrated that the SKM was now taking a lead in articulating the demands of the entire society and not just the farmers.
‘Women also affected’
Leading a protest in Rohtak, Jagmati Sangwan, national vice-president, All-India Democractic Women’s Association, said that women were also impacted due to the rise in prices and had come out in large numbers to register their protest.
Addressing the farmers at Kitlana toll plaza protest site in Charkhi Dadri, farmer leader Raju Maan accused Prime Minister of formulating policies to benefit his industrialist friends.
