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‘Asthi Kalash Yatra’: Ashes of Four Farmers Killed in Lakhimpur Kheri Violence Immersed In Ganga and Other Holy Rivers

Abdul Alim Jafri

Lucknow, 22 Oct 2021: Following the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) call for ‘Asthi Kalash Yatra’ in Uttar Pradesh, farmers’ unions are taking out the ashes of the farmers killed in the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri violence across the state. In this sequence, the ashes were immersed in the Ganga at Sarsaiyya Ghat on Friday. From Lakhimpur to Kanpur, the yatra covered dozens of districts. The immersion ceremony was attended by hundreds of farmers belonging to Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).

While paying homage, the farmers garlanded the asthi kalash at Sarsaiyya Ghat in Kanpur, where the immersion ritual took place. The leaders immersed the ashes in the middle of the river amid Vedic chants.

The BKU officials, who arrived at the ‘Asthi Kalash Yatra’, said their agitation would continue until the Union Minister of State (MoS) Ajay Mishra is not sacked and resolved that the movement would continue.

As per SKM leaders, the motive behind rotating the ashes is to protest the atrocities committed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and their leaders.

On Friday, scores of farmers under SKM’s banner paid homage to the four farmers and the local journalist killed in Lakhimpur Kheri. The workers then reached Puwayan Rajiv Chowk from Banda to Khutar with the ashes. The caravan would reach Jalalabad on October 23 via Nigohi and Tilhar with the ashes, after which the ashes would be immersed in Ganga on October 24.

Farmers Resolve to Not Step Back

The Kalash Yatras, which started from Lakhimpur Kheri on October 12, are in progress in several states of India. In Uttar Pradesh, the yatra went through several districts of western UP, such as Muzaffarnagar and Meerut. In Muzaffarnagar, the remains were immersed in Teerthnagari Shukrtal.

Many farmers paid homage to the martyr farmers by immersing the ashes in the Shukrtal Ganga river. Naresh Tikait, BKU’s national president who arrived at one of the processions, said, “Our farmers have given their martyrdom in the Lakhimpur incident. This sacrifice of the farmers will always be written in the pages of history.”

He demanded that Union Minister Ajay Mishra be punished by the government and three farm laws be withdrawn. “We will step back only when the government repeals the farm laws,” Tikait said.

Accusing the government of going ahead with its “repressive policies”, Tikait further said, “We wanted the government to talk to us about the farm laws. The farmers were ready to step back at that time, but now it is too late. If the government takes two steps back, then the farmers’ organisations will also think about taking a step back.”

Mukut Singh, state secretary of AIKS, said that these ‘Kalash Yatras’ are strengthening farmers’ resolve to carry forward the struggle as strongly as before.

“The Kalash has been sent to all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, and farmers’ unions are taking processions as per their convenience. According to the SKM, the Kalash Yatras were supposed to end on October 24 due to the proposed Kisan Mahapanchayat on October 26 in Lucknow. Now that the date of panchayat has been extended to November 26, the yatras would be further taken out till the end of this month,” Singh told NewsClick.

Meanwhile, farmers immersed the ashes in the holy water in Sudrai village, Agra district. Similarly, in Varanasi and Raebareli, the ashes were immersed in Ganga and Varuna rivers.

The SKM spokesperson Jagtar Singh Bajwa said, “After being taken across the state, the ashes would be immersed in the Ganga on October 24. We have also decided to build a memorial honouring farmers on the Gurudwara committee’s land at Tikonia in the Lakhimpur Kheri district.”

Eight people, including four farmers and a local scribe, were killed in the district on October 3 during a protest against the three farm laws. Ashish Mishra, the son of MoS Ajay Mishra, has been arrested on charges of murder after farmers’ unions alleged that a vehicle that belonged to him ran over the protestors. The unions and opposition parties have demanded that Mishra be sacked from the Union Cabinet. They have said that an impartial investigation into the matter will not be possible if he continues to be a Union minister.

(Courtesy: Newsclick.)

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Lakhimpur Killings: Asthi Kalash Yatra Draws Crowds from all Walks of Life in Haryana

Ravi Kaushal

Rohtak (Haryana), 22 Oct 2021: As the mini truck carrying the Asthi Kalash (urn of ashes) began its journey from Rohtak on Friday morning, the flocking crowds started raising slogans to pay respect to the deceased farmers who were killed in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri.

The countrywide call for a Asthi Kalash Yatra was given by the farmers’ collective, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) wherein several contingents of farmers are touring different districts across states with the ashes in a bid to expose the brutality unleashed allegedly by associates of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Minister of State of Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni and his son Ashish Mishra. Four farmers and one journalist were mowed down by a speeding SUV, allegedly driven by Ashish, when they were returning from a protest on October 3.

Clad in traditional attire, Sunita, standing beside the truck, said she was part of a deep communication network of farmers in which they share information of protests and proposed actions in their respective areas. Talking to NewsClick, Sunita said residents of her village Madina, stationed at the Tikri Border, had told her about ashes coming to the village.

“I had sleepless nights when I saw the video of vehicles crushing people. It was barbaric. How could one do that? They are thinking that they can crush the movement like NRC-CAA agitation but this movement is different,” she said.

Another participant in the procession said many women had left their chores in farms and houses to come to the community hall and pay their homage to the farmers.

For Sunita, the movement has brought unprecedented unity among communities and this campaign would only strengthen the bond. “They deliberately raised issues on caste and religious lines. Nobody visited each other’s families even for weddings. It (farmers’ movement) has brought us together on concerns that we all share. People have realised that privatisation is really hurting us. The brazenness of privatisation is such that they (Narendra Modi government) have now allowed lateral entry in governance. People voted for Modi because they hoped different action from him. But he has also failed us. The Lakhimpur incident has ensured that he will not return to power if he chooses to stand with the minister,” she added.

Meanwhile, persistent announcements from the truck made it clear that a renewed emphasis is being given on strengthening protest sites on borders ahead of the Supreme Court hearing. The apex court, in its last hearing, has remarked that while protesters have the right to protest, they cannot block the roads indefinitely.

Currently, the farmers are agitating at Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu borders of the national capital. Other permanent protests are in Haryana’s Palwal and Shahjahanpur border.

The next stop for the Yatra was a rather calm neighbourhood in Bahu Akbarpur where Dharamvir Singh and his friends welcomed the caravan.

When NewsClick asked him about the Supreme Court hearing, Singh said farmers have removed some tents tactically to show that it is Delhi Police that has built the walls on the borders, not the farmers. When reminded about a similar remark made by the SC during the anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) agitation, he said: “This is a much broader movement. With this movement too, they tried similar tactics. They portrayed it as a movement of a single religion. First, the January 26 incident happened, then the recent killing of a dalit allegedly by Nihang Sikhs. Both conspiracies have been busted and they have been exposed. As far as Supreme Court is concerned, it should ask the government to listen to the farmers. We wanted to go to Delhi. The administration stopped us at borders.”

Commenting on the silence of PM Modi on the Lakhimpur incident, Singh said: “Dhritarashtra (in the Mahabharata) also tied a black cloth on his eyes when he knew his sons were committing sins. What happened to him is history now.”

A striking feature of the Asti Kalash Yatra was the overwhelming support from youth. Aman got the news of the truck coming to Lakhan Majra just when he was studying in a private library to prepare for government jobs. His friend and farmer leader Akshay Narwal told NewsClick that they deliberately did not make elaborate arrangements as it would have slowed the truck’s movement.

“A bigger congregation means people would stay longer. We wanted the Yatra to cover as many villages as possible in a single day”, he said.

Just before moving to address the gathering, he said: “Ministers like (Ajay) Mishra preach that good people should be away from the politics. The real reason is that they do not want the sons and daughters of farmers and workers to join politics, because if they enter politics, they will bring their issues, too.”

Another remarkable feature of the Yatra was the wide support from civil society as it entered the plush areas of Rohtak city neatly divided in sectors. Jagbir Singh, who retired from Indian Air Force, came out in support of farmers at Jat Bhawan in Sector-3 of the city.

Talking to NewsClick, Singh said: “Even if we rule out the possibility of a conspiracy, the (Lakhimpur) incident in itself was brutal where people died in this manner. This is not a healthy sign in a democracy. This can happen to anybody. Where will people go if their grievances are not heard?”

Asked about the continuance of the BJP minister in office, Singh said: “Ideally, he should have resigned on moral grounds. If he did not do it, the PM should sacked him. If he remains in power, how can a junior police officer take action against him?”

Sukhbir Singh Mathur who heads the resident welfare association of Sector-4 extension, was miffed at the way the protesters were treated. “They have changed the definition of agitation. When we protested, it was called illegal. When we moved to Delhi, we were stopped at borders. I just want to ask them, how should we protest so that does not bother them? Now, they have objections with the Yatra too. When they roamed around the country with ashes of their leaders [former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former UP CM Kalyan Singh] there was no issue, but when we are doing it, they are objecting. Why should we not conduct the yatra? They have unleashed atrocities on us. Can’t we even raise our voices?”

(Courtesy: Newsclick.)

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Lakhimpur Killings: Thousands of Farmers Squat on Rail Tracks, Demand BJP Minister’s Ouster

Newsclick Report

Thousands of farmers squatted on rail tracks and occupied platforms in several states on Monday in protest against the Narendra Modi government’s inaction in not sacking or arresting Union cabinet minister Ajay Mishra Teni for his ‘role’ in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

There were reports of preventive arrests and detentions from states, such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, according to Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), farmers collective, which has given the call for a countrywide ‘rail roko’ on Monday.

“More than 290 trains were reportedly affected and more than 40 trains cancelled. In Uttar Pradesh, there were many detentions of farmer leaders in numerous places by the UP Police. In Madhya Pradesh, the Police arrested protestors in several places like Guna, Gwalior, Rewa, Bamaniya (in Jhabua) and other places. In Kacheguda (Hyderabad) of Telangana also, protestors were arrested. Reports of successful Rail Roko have come in from numerous states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana etc.,” SKM said in a press release.

The farmers were protesting against the mowing down of four farmers and a journalist who were returning after a peaceful protest in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. The SUV that ran over the farmers was allegedly driven by the BJP ministers’ son, Ashish, who was arrested a week later. Three BJP members were alos killed in the violence that took eight lives.

The Uttar Pradesh Police, in its First Information Report has booked Teni and his son Ashish Mishra for hatching a conspiracy to kill the farmers by mowing down under his SUV Mahindra Thar.

The SKM, which has been spearheading a movement against three Central farm laws for close to a year now, demanded that the Modi Government has to take moral responsibility “in addition to doing this as a simple principle of natural justice, to ensure that the investigation is not impacted, the real culprits and masterminds of Lakhimpur Kheri Massacre are arrested.”

Maintaining that a fair probe can only take place if the minister resigns the SKM warned that protests would be intensified further if its demands for justice in Lakhimpur Kheri ‘massacre’ were not met.

Haryana: Farmers Vent ire in Sonipat

Sonipat: For Vijender Singh and his friends, the morning began with more bad news. The untimely rains on Monday night had wreaked havoc on crops. Yet, he chose to be part of the protest at Sonipat Railway Station to stop trains to show their anguish on continuation of Ajay Mishra Teni in the Union Cabinet as junior minister.

Sitting on tracks, Singh told NewsClick that there were peculiar trends in the conduct of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party that clearly show that the government does not want any dialogue with farmers.

“How can a person sitting on post of Minister of State for Home Affairs ensure justice when he too is booked for murdering the farmers. We do not expect justice from them but we cannot leave our struggle too. Had they really cared for justice, farmers would not have to sit on roads for 11 months,” he said.

Raj Kumar Rana said: “the rains have decimated our crops. Now, the farmers who grow less water consuming crops other than rice are also bankrupt. Those who considered themselves lucky by harvesting their crops early too are disturbed because the government did not procure the crops in a speedy manner and the grains are now inundated in APMC mandis. Despite this ordeal, we are here to ask for justice for our brethren. Their sacrifice cannot go in vain.”

Abhimanyu Kohar, youngest leader of SKM, saw a different political messaging in the inaction on the minister. “To us, the real incident began not on October 3 but September 25 when the minister in question openly made remarks that he could teach a lesson to farmers. He has been accused of murder and smuggling and everybody knows his conduct in the area. Ideally, PM Modi should have taken his resignation after his statement. By choosing to not to sack and arrest him, Modi is clearly saying that he is not interested in any justice to farmers,” he added.

Kohar said the narrative of ‘Khalistani, Maoist, extremists’ by ministers and the killing of farmers has fired them even more to reclaim their dignity. “We will not return to our homes until justice is done. We are not worried if it means removal of government in the elections in 2024.”

MP: Over 400 Detained

Bhopal: Over 400 people were detained across Madhya Pradesh for attempting to enter the railway station in a bid to stop trains on Monday for the ‘rail roko’ call by SKM.

Police detained Madhya Pradesh SKM convenor Badal Saroj, senior farmer leader Irfan Jafri and hundred others from outside Nasrullaganj railway station of Raisen district around 12 p.m. Farmers were marching towards the railway station to stop the trains when police detained them. They were released later the day.

Similarly, hundreds of farmers were arrested in Gwalior, Satna, Guna, Narsinghpur, Vidisha and Morena for attempting to enter the railway station in a bid to register their protest on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, said Saroj.

The SKM convenor alleged that the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra was driving in the vehicle that mowed down farmers ij Lakhimpur Kheri, resulting in the death of as many as eight people, including four farmers, on October 3. The deceased in the incident also include three BJP workers and a local journalist.

“Our protest will continue until the Union Government meets our demands for resignation of the Union Minister and withdrawal of the three farm laws,” said Jafri, convenor of Jagrut Kisan Sanghatan.

When contacted, Rahul Jaipuriya, Chief Public Relation Officer, West Central Railway, said train services of Bhopal and Gwalior divisions were not affected. “

Rakesh Gupta, ADG, Law and Order, Madhya Pradesh police said, “Till 3 am, the protest was peaceful and dozens of people were detained in a few districts who were attempting to enter inside the station in a bid to stop train services. But they were released later.”

West Bengal: Rain Fails to Dampen Spirit

Kolkata: It was raining cats and dogs throughout the state, but it failed to deter activists of All India Kisan Sabha and All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) and other constituents of the SKM from taking to the rail tracks.

Picketing began at 10 a.m at various stations in Purulia , Nadia , South Dinajpur , Burdwan east and west , North 24 Parganas and Bankura. The activists had to play hide & seek with the Railway Police in some districts as they were stopped from carrying out the ‘rail roko’. In the many other districts, the protest could not be taken up due to heavy rains.

Later, talking with NewsClick AIAWU state president Tushar Ghosh said the programme saw earnest participation by agricultural labourers who too protested against the murder of innocent peasants in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri.

Amal Halder, convenor , All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, said in most places close to 500 to 700 activists gathered for the ‘rail woko’.

“Our fight shall go on until the accused Central minister of state for Home is removed from the Union cabinet and the three farm laws are repealed,” he said.

Odisha: Opposition Parties Back Farmers

Bhubaneswar: Train services were on Monday affected in the East Coast Railway division of Odisha for around 30 minutes to one hour owing to the ‘rail roko’ agitation by farmers, demanding the dismissal and arrest of Union minister Ajay Mishra for his alleged involvement in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence earlier this month.

The agitation call by SKM received support from the Congress, the Left and the Aam Aadmi Party in Odisha.

In Odisha, however, the agitation continued for around 20 minutes at most stations, barring Gorakhnath, where demonstrators sat on the tracks for at least 50 minutes.

According to an ECoR official, as many as 12 trains came to a halt at the stations, causing problems for the daily commuters, even as the agitators refused to vacate the tracks.

The trains were allowed to move only after the protesters left the stations, he said

Senior CPI(M) leader Suresh Panigrahi claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “silence” on the UP violence and his cabinet minister’s alleged role in the incident has fuelled anger among people.

The Congress, too, sought Mishra’s dismissal and arrest.

“We have extended our support to the agitation as we know that the investigation won’t be neutral if Ajay Mishra continues to be a minister in the central cabinet,” Congress MLA Suresh Routray claimed.

The legislator also demanded immediate withdrawal of the three contentious farm laws.

UP: Farmers Occupy Tracks During ‘Rail Roko’, Many Leaders Arrested

Lucknow: Undeterred by preventive arrests of farmer leaders, the threat of invoking National Security Act and imposition of Section 144 to prevent assembly of more than four persons, the ‘rail roko’ call by Samyukt Kisan Morcha drew a good response in Uttar Pradesh, where four farmers were mowed down on October 3.

The Uttar Pradesh government tried it best to thwart the protest. A day ahead of the ‘rail roko’ action planned by the Samuykta Kisan Morcha (SKM) to demand the removal and arrest of minister of state for home affairs Ajay Mishra over the alleged involvement of his son Ashish in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3, the police swooped on the homes of dozens of farmer leaders and activists in different parts of the state in the wee hours of Sunday and whisked them away.

Personnel of Railway Police Force and Provincial Armed Constabulary, paramilitary forces and local police were deployed at railway stations across the state to prevent the farmers from squatting on the tracks.

Midnight raids and house arrests were reported from Deoria, Varanasi, Azamgarh, Etawah, Sonbhadra, Bahraich, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and other parts of the state. Later, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that the government did not approve of the protest and plans were afoot to ensure law and order was not compromised. The government also threatened to invoke the stringent National Security Act against those trying to “disrupt normalcy”.

A day before the protest, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which prohibits a gathering of four people, was imposed in Lucknow and almost every district of western UP, where a series of Kisan Mahapanchayats against the three farm laws have been held.

Rajneeti Yadav, president of Jai Kisan Andolan, was placed under house arrest in Azamgarh early Monday morning. “We were going to stop trains at the Azamgarh Railway Station in the morning. However, the police inspector of Sarai Mir landed at my place and placed me under house arrest. The Uttar Pradesh government’s attitude reminds us of the brutal and oppressive British rule,” Yadav told Newsclick.

Though the “government is leaving no stone unturned to stop the farmers’ movement from spreading in easter Uttar Pradesh, the flame has already spread across the state”, Yadav said, adding, “we will not stop until Union minister Ajay Mishra is sacked and arrested. Also, our struggle for the withdrawal of the three agriculture laws will continue”.

Meanwhile, around 50 farmers associated with the Communist Party of India, the Bharatiya Kisan Sabha and the Student Federation of India and led by Vivek Vikram Singh were arrested near the railway station in Jaunpur when they were moving ahead to stop trains.

Nearly, half-a-dozen farmers in Ballia, including SKM spokesperson Santosh Singh, were arrested on October 14 by the Chandrashekhar Nagar police. Singh, who was not told when he will be released, alleged police misbehaviour. In Maharajpur village of Sahatwar Police Station area, farmer leader Banshidhar Paswan was placed under house arrest.

protest

“The Rail Roko protest was held to press for the removal and arrest of Ajay Mishra. If the government still does not arrest him, a massive movement will be organised in Lakhimpur Kheri and joined by farmers from across the country,” Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), told Newsclick.

Farmers in Bilaspur, Rampur, climbed atop the Jammu Tawi-Kathgodam Express. While the Triveni Express reached Pilibhit 40 minutes late, the local train could not depart the Bareilly Railway Station. At Khurja Junction of Bulandshahr district, farmers sat on the tracks for several hours and stopped the Gomti Express from departing.

Farmers also squatted on tracks at Dhanaura Railway Station, in Mandi Dhanaura, Amroha district, delaying the Najibabad Passenger by more than 35 minutes, according to officials.

Three key trains—Super Express, Madurai Express and Kochuveli Express—at City Station in Meerut district were stopped by BKU supporters.

In Muradnagar of Ghaziabad, the protesting farmers, including women, stopped multiple trains for several minutes. At some places, including those in Meerut, Bijnor and Baghpat districts, farmers could be seen smoking hookahs while occupying tracks.

A group of farmers led by BKU members occupied a track in Hapur-Delhi section. “Our protest will continue in a peaceful manner till Ajay Mishra is arrested and the farm laws are repealed,” Digamber Singh, BKU leader, told Newsclick.

(Courtesy: Newsclick.)

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Farmers’ ‘Rail Roko’ Protest Affects 160 Trains at 184 locations

The Wire Staff

New Delhi, 18 Oct 2021: Nearly 160 trains have been affected at 184 locations due to the six-hour ‘rail roko’ protest called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) over the Lakhimpur-Kheri incident.

According to India Today, 63 trains have been stopped before the destination, 43 trains cancelled and one train has been diverted due to the protest.

The protest also hindered the schedule of 50 trains, Railways’ chief public relation officer told PTI.

The trains that have been affected in the Northern Railway zone include the Chandigarh-Ferozepur Express. Its scheduled departure from Ludhiana was 7 am, but has been stranded there due to a blockade in the Ferozpur-Ludhiana section, the official told the news agency.

The New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express was halted near Shambu station as protesters blocked railway tracks near Sahnewal and Rajpura.

In Rajasthan, the agitation affected train movement in Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar of the Bikaner division.

An Northern Western Railway spokesperson said rail traffic on Bhiwani-Rewari, Sirsa-Rewari, Loharu-Hisar, Suratgarh-Bathinda, Sirsa-Bathinda, Hanumangarh-Bathinda, Rohtak-Bhiwani, Rewari-Sadulpur, Hisar-Bathinda, Hanumangarh-Sadulpur and Sri Ganganagar-Rewari sections was affected due to the agitation.

The Bathinda-Rewari Special train and the Sirsa-Ludhiana Special train will remain cancelled on Monday, he said, adding the route of Ahmedabad-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Special train has also been changed.

The train which departed from Ahmedabad on Saturday will run on the changed route via Rewari-Delhi-Pathankot to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, he said.

The SKM, an umbrella body of farmer unions that is spearheading the agitation against the Union government’s three agricultural laws, had said “protests will be intensified until justice is secured” in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

The SKM had said that all train traffic would be stopped from 10 am till 4 pm on Monday during the ‘rail roko’ protest over the demand of the dismissal and arrest of Union minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

Four farmers were killed in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 after they were mown down by a vehicle, allegedly driven by Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra. Four other people were killed, including two Bharatiya Janata Party workers, a journalist and Ajay Mishra’s driver.

A first information report against Ashish Mishra alleged that he was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and Ajay Mishra.

Ashish Mishra was arrested in the case on October 9, a week after the incident.

(Courtesy: The Wire.)