Haryana govt 'harassing' farmers, Punjab-Haryana borders look like international border: Farm leader
Chandigarh (PTI): Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Tuesday decried the heavy barricading along the borders of Punjab and Haryana in view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march, saying the state borders have been turned into "international borders".
He also accused the Manohar Lal Khattar government of harassing farmers in Haryana.
"It does not seem Punjab and Haryana are two states. It seems they have become the international border," Pandher told reporters in Fatehgarh Sahib district ahead of the farmers' march to Delhi.
The farmers are demanding a legal guarantee for MSP, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
Pandher said while the media has blamed the farmers for blocking roads, the government itself has blocked roads.
"Even today we are not saying that we will block roads. The government itself has blocked roads for the past two-three days," Pandher, who is the general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said.
Concrete walls have been erected at the Punjab and Haryana borders, he said.
"We grow foodgrains and we feed the country and they have grown a crop of nails" for us," Pandher said while referring to the elaborate arrangements made by the Haryana authorities to prevent farmers from moving towards the national capital.
He alleged that many farmers allowing allegiance to them have been detained in Madhya Pradesh.
Lashing out at the Haryana government, Pandher said Haryana has been turned into "Kashmir valley."
He alleged that the state government has sent policemen to every village to harass farmers and deployed water cannons.
Referring to the meeting with the Union Ministers, Pandher said as the meeting remained inconclusive, they decided to head towards Delhi.
He said farmers rejected the ministers' offers of formation of a committee over their demands, especially legal guarantee to the minimum support price.
Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda along with Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal held a meeting with representatives of farmers on Monday. However, the meeting on the demands put forward by farmers remained inconclusive.
Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha plan to head to Delhi from the Ambala-Shambhu, Khanauri-Jind and the Dabwali borders.
VIDEO | Farmers' Delhi Chalo march: "We tried our best during the meeting yesterday to resolve the issue and avoid a clash with the (central) government. We attended the meeting for five hours. They are sending police and using water cannons in each and every village of Haryana.… pic.twitter.com/q7UCKSGtIw
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 13, 2024
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Eminent philosopher, Narayana Gurukula head Muni Narayana Prasad dies at 87
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Eminent philosopher, spiritual leader Muni Narayana Prasad, who headed the famed Narayana Gurukula, passed away early Saturday, sources said.
He was 87.
He breathed his last while undergoing treatment for a brief ailment at a private medical college hospital in Venjaramoodu here, said sources at Narayana Gurukula, a Varkala-based philosophical and educational organisation inspired by the teachings of saint-social reformer Narayana Guru.
A recipient of the Padma Shri in 2024 and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for his contributions to literature and philosophy, Prasad was an engineering graduate before choosing the spiritual path.
He worked in the state government service before joining as an inmate in Gurukula, founded by Sree Narayana Guru's disciple Nataraja Guru in 1923.
Prasad later became the head of Gurukula following the demise of its then chief and prominent philosopher Nitya Chaitanya Yati.
An eminent scholar and a prolific writer, he wrote several books on various streams, especially on philosophy and spirituality.
People from various walks of life condoled Muni Narayana Prasad's demise.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in his condolence message, said that Muni Narayana Prasad was noted for propagating the Guru's teachings, critically interpreting his literary works, and delivering engaging lectures.
He described him as a scholar who deeply imbibed the philosophy of Sree Narayana Guru and presented it meaningfully to the world. He had the ability to communicate profound philosophical ideas in simple language, the CM noted.
Filled with humanism and a sense of equality in both words and actions, he influenced the thinking of many people, Vijayan said.
"With the passing of Muni Narayana Prasad, we have lost a teacher who taught society how to think," Vijayan added in his condolence message.
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