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

Lucknow: 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) and All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), led by AIKS district president Ravi Pratap Singh.

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He demanded that Union Minister Ajay Mishra be punished by the government and three farm laws be withdrawn.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, under AIKS' banner, farmers immersed the ashes in the holy water in Sudrai village, Agra district. A condolence meeting was also held by AIKS leader Bharat Singh and Bachhu Singh. Similarly, in Varanasi and Raebareli, under BKU's banner, 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.