in support of the farmer`s movement of Gautam Buddh Nagar

in support of the farmer`s movement of Gautam Buddh Nagar

The Kisan Sabha strongly condemns the repression of the farmer`s movement in Gautam Buddh Nagar by the Yogi Adityanath government and demands immediate steps to address the demands of the farmers

Ashok Dhawale, President
Vijoo Krishnan, General Secretary

The ongoing farmer`s movement in Gautam Buddh Nagar is being forcibly suppressed by the Uttar Pradesh government. The police are going to homes of farmers, threatening and putting them under house arrest. People are being arrested from their homes and on the roads as well. The Kisan Sabha condemns this undemocratic, authoritarian attitude of the state government and Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration in the strongest terms and demands immediate action to resolve the real demands of the farmers.

In an attempt to suppress the farmer`s movement, the Uttar Pradesh government is violating their fundamental rights and disregarding democratic values by arresting them in an unlawful manner. Dr. Rupesh Verma, District President of AIKS, and Jagbir Nambardar, District Secretary of AIKS, were arrested while traveling on roads. Senior leaders of the Kisan Sabha, Veer Singh Nagar, Ajayab Singh, and Sukhbir Khaleefa, leader of the Kisan Parishad, along with hundreds of farmers, were directly taken to jail without any legal process. Even the family members of farmers are being falsely implicated in cases. The government and administration are ignoring all legal procedures and violating the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

Farmers of Gautam Buddh Nagar have been struggling for several years, demanding the return of 10 % developed land of their acquired land, the implementation of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 in the region, compensation as per the law, an increase in the circle rates of land, and employment opportunities for their children in the large industrial towns that have been built on their lands. This struggle has intensified over the past year and half years.

Ten farmer`s organizations from the district, under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, had called for a Mahapanchayat on November 25, after which a continuous protest began at the Yamuna Expressway Authority office, followed by a call for a Delhi march on December 2. During the Delhi march, the district administration asked the farmers for seven days to discuss with the government. In response, the farmers sat at the Dalit Prerna Sthal by the roadside and began their protest.

However, on December 3, the administration betrayed the farmers and arrested them from the protest site. On December 4, the farmers called for another Mahapanchayat at the Yamuna Expressway, Zero Point. Despite the administration’s full efforts to stop them, thousands of farmers gathered there, and the government was forced to release arrested farmers. However, that same night, the farmers sitting at the protest were arrested again. On December 5 and 6, hundreds of farmers trying to reach Zero Point were also arrested. This continuous repression and arrests of farmers is a shame to the country’s democracy.

The All India Kisan Sabha demands that the state government immediately release all arrested farmers and stop violating their constitutional right to protest. Instead of suppressing the farmer’s movement, the government should take positive steps to address their demands. If the government continues the repression, farmers will respond to it, and there will be protests across the country in support of the farmer’s movement of Gautam Buddh Nagar.