On 19 March, Punjab police crackdown on the farmers’ movement, demolishing the protest site and detaining hundreds of farmers along with farmers’ leaders Jagjeet Singh Dalewaal, Sarvan Singh Pandher, and Sukhwinder Kaur while they were on their way back to Shambhu and Khanauri, respectively, after talks with the Center government. Complete Internet was also suspended near the protest site area.

This cowardly crackdown on the farmers’ movement by the Punjab state government shows the real face of AAP. Using bulldozers to demolish the protest site where farmers were taking temporary shelter during last year’s ongoing farmers’ movement clearly shows the non-BJP governments are on the same line to crush the people’s movements. This act of destroying and vandalizing the farmers’ protest site raises the question that the minimal right to protest is also unacceptable and will be brutally crushed by governments.

Farmers’ movement is facing severe state repression by the center and state authorities. Even killing and torture of farmers using tear gas and mortar are very common during face-offs between farmers and the authorities. Repression on protesting farmers is not seen in isolation. This is part of the common practice of the Indian state handling protesters and also part of a larger crackdown on dissent in all over India.

We also urge all the democratic and progressive organizations to come together and raise their voice against the brutally crushed protest and movement by central and state governments in every part of this country whether they are Adivasi, students, workers the basic right to protest is not allowed.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION

Organizing Team

(AIRSO,AISA, AISF, APCR, ASA, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, COLLECTIVE, CRPP, CSM CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA,Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, NAZARIYA , Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad,Smajwadi lok manch, Bahujan Samjavadi Mnach, SFI, United Peace Alliance, WSS,Y4S)