LAST week saw two major nationwide actions by lakhs of farmers led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), demanding the dismissal and arrest on murder and conspiracy charges of the BJP’s union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra Teni, who is the mastermind behind the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre that mowed down four farmers and a journalist on October 3.

On Dussehra Day, October 15, to symbolise the triumph of good over evil, effigy-burning of top BJP leaders like Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath, Narendra Singh Tomar, Manohar Lal Khattar, Ajay Mishra Teni and others took place in thousands of locations all over the country. In Uttar Pradesh the police took several farmer leaders into preventive detention and house arrests. In spite of this in hundreds of places, the programme was conducted peacefully. In Madhya Pradesh, where farmers had assembled for the putla dahan, police tried to forcibly prevent them from taking up the effigy burning in some places. In all other states, lakhs of farmers in multiple locations, even down to villages, angrily burnt effigies of BJP leaders.

On October 18, in hundreds of locations across India, protesting farmers occupied railway tracks and platforms. Men and women in thousands came out for implementing the rail roko and in many places, they did so braving heavy rain and downpour. More than 290 trains were affected and more than 40 trains cancelled. In Uttar Pradesh, there were many detentions of farmer leaders in numerous places by the police. In Madhya Pradesh, the police arrested protestors in several places. They included AIKS joint secretary Badal Saroj and others. In Kacheguda of Telangana also, protestors were arrested. Reports of successful rail roko have come in from states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra.

In several states, Shaheed Kalash Yatras to pay homage to the martyrs of the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre are being taken out with their ashes. In Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, Shaheed Kalash Yatras have started. A big joint statewide programme has been planned in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and other states.  

In our report last week, we had outlined the big countrywide condolence cum protest meetings and the candle light vigils that took place on October 12, on the day that the antim ardaas of the five martyrs was performed at Lakhimpur Kheri. The next day, on October 13, in Kerala, thousands of farmers picketed central government offices all over the state, demanding the dismissal and arrest of Ajay Mishra Teni. Around 500 transport workers affiliated to CITU Tamil Nadu came to the Singhu Border last week to join the farmers' movement in solidarity. This again establishes the nationwide sweep of the struggle.

An Uttar Pradesh BJP leader has now admitted that Ajay Mishra is the 'sootradhar' of the Lakhimpur Kheri farmers’ massacre. Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh BJP president himself alluded to the incident by asking BJP workers not to think of political leadership as one that allows them to mow down people. A BJP MP has been constantly pointing out to flared up Hindu-Sikh tensions. Meghalaya governor Satyapal Malik of the BJP has also criticised the horrifying massacre. It is shocking that the Modi government is still refusing to take action against Ajay Mishra Teni. 

UP POLICE FAIL TO TAKE

STATEMENT OF TAJINDER SINGH VIRK

Prominent SKM leader Tajinder Singh Virk, aged 48, was among those who sustained grievous skull and body injuries at Lakhimpur Kheri when one of the cars owned by Ajay Mishra Teni hit him. He had to be hospitalised for ten days and it is a miracle that he survived. Tajinder Singh Virk is the president of the influential Terai Kisan Sangathan and is also a working group member of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC).

AIKS general secretary Hannan Mollah, president Ashok Dhawale, joint secretary Vijoo Krishnan and finance secretary P Krishnaprasad met him on October 15 at Gurgaon where he was recuperating. He gave us an accurate eye witness account of the terrible events of October 3. 

What is most shocking is that the Uttar Pradesh police has so far not even recorded the statement of such a prominent SKM leader as Tajinder Singh Virk. Not recording his statement or statements of other eye witnesses in itself is a pointer to the fears being expressed from the beginning with regard to the investigation and justice needed in this massacre.

DISTURBING INCIDENT

AT SINGHU BORDER

On October 15, a gruesome murder occurred at the Singhu border. The victim, as well as the four accused, who have confessed to their crime and have been arrested, are all dalit Sikhs. The accused have clear links with a Nihang group. The same evening, the SKM issued the following statement.

“It has come to the notice of the SKM that a person hailing from Punjab (Lakhbir Singh, son of Darshan Singh, village Cheema Kala, police station Sarai Amanat Khan, district Tarn Taran) was mutilated and murdered this morning at the Singhu Border. A Nihang group at the scene has claimed responsibility, saying that the incident took place because of the deceased's attempt to commit sacrilege with regard to the Sarbaloh Granth. It has been reported that this deceased was staying with the same group of Nihangs for some time.

“The SKM condemns this gruesome killing and wants to make it clear that both the parties to this incident, the Nihang group and the deceased person, have no relation with SKM. The morcha is against sacrilege of any religious text or symbol, but that does not give anyone the right to take the law into their own hands. We demand that the culprits be punished according to law after investigating the allegation of murder and conspiracy behind sacrilege. As always, the SKM will cooperate with the police and administration in any lawful action. This peaceful and democratic movement is opposed to violence in any form.”

On October 16, in its press release, the SKM stated, “SKM strongly condemns the brutally violent incident of torture and murder that happened in Singhu Border yesterday. It also demands an investigation into the allegation of conspiracy to sabotage the movement through sacrilege and promotion of disturbance by hurting religious sentiments. From media reports from the victim's village and family, it appears that he had been receiving mysterious calls which he would take in secrecy. Victim Lakhbir Singh is supposed to have told his sister that 'his reach has increased now and has gone far'. After a wedding in the village, he is supposed to have gone away with someone in the attire of a Nihang Sikh and landed up with a Nihang group in Singhu Border since then. All this information points to a deep conspiracy of some sort, as SKM has been pointing out. SKM also states that the movement will continue to grow stronger despite various setbacks, and peace and non-violence will continue to be the cornerstones for the historic movement.”

The conspiracy angle was further confirmed with a report that appeared on October 19 in ‘The Tribune’. It said, “Baba Aman Singh, who heads one of the Nihang sects, and a Sikh group based in Onatrio, Canada, may have had a role in the behind-the-scene efforts by the government to end the farmers’ stir.” The report further says that Baba Aman Singh attended a meeting with union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar for this purpose. Along with this report, ‘The Tribune’ has printed a telling photograph showing Narendra Singh Tomar, Baba Aman Singh, a dismissed cop and murder convict Gurmeet ‘Pinki’ and BJP Kisan Morcha leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal together!  The truth will soon be out!