Lakhimpur Kheri: Farmer leaders intensify stir, to hold ‘rail roko’ on Oct 18 if demands not met

On a day when Ashish Mishra, son of junior Home Minister Ajay Mishra, joined investigations in the Lakhimpur Kheri case, the farmers' unions demanded that the accused be arrested, and his father be sacked from the cabinet. The unions set a deadline of October 11 after which they would intensify their stir.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha said if the demands were not met, they would launch Shaheed Kisan Yatra from Lakhimpur Kheri by taking the ashes of the deceased farmers to several districts and states of the country. On Dussehra, on October 15, the effigies of PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and local leaders will be burnt as they have not heard the demands of the farmers. Escalating further, the farmer bodies have threated to organise rail roko agitation across the country on October 18 from 10 am to 4 pm. Finally, on October 26, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha will organise a mahapanchayat in Lucknow to protest against the Lakhimpur incident.

As farmers’ protests have completed one year since the three contentious laws were passed, they were restless that the government was still not ready to listen. Lakhimpur Kheri has added another chapter to their protests.  This was conveyed in a press conference addressed by senior union leaders including Darshan Pal, Rakesh Tikait, Joginder Ugrahan, Hanan Mollah, Yogender Yadav.

“Police is going slow on the accused. The murder accused are imemdiately arrested, but he (Ashish) is giving notice to join investigations,”Ugrahan said, charting out the future action plan in case demands were not met by October 11.

“On the call of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, October 12 will be celebrated as Shaheed Kisan Diwas across the country. SKM appeals to the farmers of Uttar Pradesh and all over the country to pay tribute to the martyr farmers by attending the Antim Ardas (Bhog) on October 12 at Tikonia, Lakhimpur Kheri. SKM appeals to all farmer organisations to organise special prayer meetings or tribute meetings for martyr farmers at their respective places on that day at Gurudwara, Temple, Mosque, Church or any public place, toll plaza or morchas. It is an appeal to all the just citizens of the country to light five candles in the memory of the five martyrs outside their houses on that evening,”Yadav said.

In a statement issued, the SKM said, “The Lakhimpur Kheri massacre will be remembered as a painful chapter in the history of the farm movement of India. The whole truth of this incident has been revealed to the country through all the videos that have become public so far.”

Darshan Pal said MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni, who himself boasts of a criminal image, first threatened the farmers of a particular community, then tried to instigate the protesting farmers, then his son trampled the farmers going back from the protest by running them over in which four farmers and a journalist were killed.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organisation of farmers unions, accused the BJP governments at the centre and state of using violence to target farm movement. “The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has decided that it will respond to this violence through a peaceful and democratic mass-movement. A nationwide campaign will be launched against this massacre and the non-satisfactory action by the government,” statement said.