Lakhimpur Killings: Farmers Burn Effigies Across States, Flay Tardy Action Against BJP Minister

New Delhi: Farmers’ organisations on Saturday burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to express the anguish over inaction in the Lakhimpur Khiri case where farmers were ploughed down allegedly by some associates of Bharatiya Janata Party Minister Ajay Mishra Teni and his son Ashish Mishra.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a collective of over 40 farmers’ organisations, had called for burning of effigies in protest against the Modi government’s failure to sack and arrest its junior Cabinet minister for his alleged role in the murder of farmers.

Four farmers and one local journalist were killed in the carnage. Ajay Mishra, known for his strongman image and provocative statements, had accepted that the vehicle in question was registered in his name. The FIR (First Information Report) by the Uttar Pradesh Police named Mishra and his son for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to mow down the farmers.

Pictures of farmers burning effigies started pouring in on social media on Saturday from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

In a phone conversation, Mukut Singh from All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) in Uttar Pradesh told NewsClick that the protest action was carried out in more than 40 districts of the state despite police cracking down on activists. “We are getting reports from Aligarh and other districts that the police is now putting leaders under house arrest. The action is happening in one dozen districts. What we can understand is that the action now seems to be targeted to prevent the Rail Roko programme on Monday,” he said.

Bhalchandra Sarangi, National Secretary, AIKMS, and state convenor for SKM in Odisha, told NewsClick over the phone that farmers took out processions in Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Jashipur and Durgapur among other districts and burnt effigies. “Overall, the action was observed in 22 districts. We are witnessing heavy rains in many districts. Despite the obstacles, the farmers came out on streets in various districts and burnt the effigies.”

Sarangi said the “interesting and encouraging part about the movement is that the sharecroppers are joining the movement as they fear joblessness and displacement once the contract farming act comes into action in the state.”

When asked if they faced detentions in Odisha like in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, he said the ruling Biju Janata Dal government did not take up any action as it does not want to be seen against the farmers’ movement. “Second, this protest has put the opposition BJP in a fix which has not uttered a word,” he added.

In Madhya Pradesh, farmers assembled for putla dahan (effigy burning), but police started forcibly preventing them from doing so in Guna and other places. Manish Shrivastava, a farmer leader from the state told NewsClick that the programme was observed in 25 districts.

Talking to NewsClick over the phone, he said, “The police tried hard to stop us but we went ahead. The farmers hit the roads as an unprecedented fertiliser crisis is unfolding across the state. Farmers have been waiting outside fertilisers centres for days but not getting a single stack. This is a fallout of the policies of state government where they kept increasing the private quota for distribution of fertilisers.”

In Tamil Nadu's Karur, BJP workers reportedly clashed with protestors to prevent them from taking up effigy burning.

In a statement, SKM said that it was surprised at the “adamant lack of a morally-responsible response” from the Modi government with regard to Ajay Mishra Teni.

“A UP BJP leader has now admitted that Ajay Mishra is the 'sootradhar' (narrator) of the Lakhimpur Kheri Farmers Massacre. Earlier, the UP BJP President himself alluded to the incident by asking BJP workers not to think of political leadership as one that allows them to mow down people. A BJP MP has been constantly pointing out to flared up Hindu-Sikh tensions. Against such a backdrop, it is indeed shocking that the Modi Government is shying away from taking action against Ajay Mishra Teni,” it said.

SKM also raised questions over the delay in recording the statements of eyewitnesses by the Uttar Pradesh Police in the case. The UP Police has so far not recorded the statement of SKM leader and head of Terai Kisan Sanghatan Tajinder Singh Virk. We are fearful that not recording his statement or statements of other eye witnesses in itself could be a pointer to fears being expressed from the beginning with regard to the investigation and justice needed in this massacre.