Several farmers on Sunday here paid homage to Shubhkaran Singh (21), a farmer from Punjab’s Bathinda who was killed in a clash with police at the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21.
A tribute ceremony was organised in memory of the young farmer at Mohra grain mandi adjacent to Ambala Cantonment, in which several farmers from adjoining areas of Punjab and Haryana came to participate and observed a two-minute silence.
A number of police personnel had been deployed in and around the event’s venue.
Addressing the gathering, farmer leader Manjit Singh Rai alleged the government is in “panic” and due to this, it has arrested farmer activist Navdeep Singh Jalbera.
The government wants to create an atmosphere of fear, but it will not deter farmers who will continue with their peaceful protest, he said.
The Ambala police had on Thursday arrested Jalbera in connection with an FIR registered during the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest last month.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the farmers have not blocked the Haryana-Punjab border at Shambhu and Khanauri points, but it is the Haryana Police which has barricaded it.
He said that the government wants to crush the farmers’ movement, but they will continue to peacefully agitate.
The gathering had been convened by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mukti Morcha (KMM) on Sunday to pay homage to Shubhkaran Singh.
Farmers camping at the two border points between Punjab and Haryana had recently said they would continue their agitation until their demands are met.
, a farmer from Punjab's Bathinda who was killed in a clash with police at the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21.){kind=link}