Farm unions announce fresh protests, will block rails, hold Lucknow mahapanchayat on Oct 26

Major farm unions have announced a new series of agitation to protest the violent incident in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on October 2, in which eight people were killed, including five farmers and a journalist.

Farm unions blame Union minister of state home Ajay Mishra and his son Ashish Mishra, against whom murder charges have been filed, for a violent incident in which a convoy of vehicles belonging to Ashish Mishra crushed farmers returning from a protest last Sunday, to death.

Farm unions announce fresh protests

Police questioned the minister's son on Saturday but he had not been arrested till the time of filing this report. The minister and his son have denied any involvement.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a platform of farm unions which have held year-long demonstrations against the three farm laws, said farmers from various states would arrive at Lakhimpur Kheri on October 12 to mourn the death of four farmers and a journalist killed in the incident.

Farm unions will also block train movement on October 18 and hold a mahapanchayat at Lucknow on October 28, the SKM has said.

"We demand the dismissal of Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra and immediate arrest of his son Ajay Mishra," said Yogendra Yadav at a media briefing in the capital.

"This incident has completely exposed the character of the Union government, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Bharatiya Janata Party which is in power at both places. BJP is not ready to take any step against its leaders and goons even after there is clear evidence of such a big murder and involvement of BJP leaders in it. It is clear that the BJP has now turned to violence after losing ground in the face of this historic farm movement," he said.

Farmers in several states are on year-long protests against three new agricultural laws that seek to liberalise farm trade in the country. One law is meant to allow big businesses and supermarkets to buy produce from farmers outside regulated state-backed wholesale markets.

A second law seeks to allow private traders to stockpile large quantities of food for future sales. A third law lays down a framework for contract farming.

The government has said the changes were necessary to boost investment and raise farm incomes, but farm unions say the new laws will leave them at the mercy of big corporations.

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