WB: Siliguri Resonates With Support For Farmers’ Movement

Kolkata: It was a red deluge in support of the farmers’ movement on Tuesday afternoon as tens of thousands of people descended on the roads of Siliguri. The rally was organised by CPI(M) Darjeeling district committee and was attended by the veteran leader of Sanyukta Kisan Morcha and general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha, Hannan Mollah, Former Siliguri Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya, CPI(M) Darjeeling district secretary Jibesh Sarkar, amongst others.

With red flags fluttering in Siliguri, it was seen that tea garden workers from neighbouring tea gardens also joined the rally meant to congratulate the farmers’ movement for emerging victorious in getting the contentious farm laws repealed. Before the rally, which started from Baghajatin park of the city, a meeting was also held which was addressed by Hannan Mollah, Ashok Bhattacharya, and was presided over by Jibesh Sarkar.

Addressing the large gathering at Baghajatin Park, Hannan Mollah said that the farmers’ movement has brought in a sea change to the surrendering mentality of the masses to the rigours of the Modi led Central government and Mamata led state government in West Bengal. This movement has proved that even a 56-inch chest can be shrunk through mass movements.

He said that “Modi had sought friendship with former President of USA Donald Trump, but was unable to understand the farmers of his own country. Never before in the country after independence, such a huge movement has been fought with so many organisations unitedly. When even 5 organisations fail to stick together, the recent experience of a coordinated movement of over 500 organisations has been a revelation. The farmers have shaken the power echelons of the country and have shown their capacity to before the power elite of the country.”

He added in his speech that, “if the food rationing system was abolished (under the farm laws) then 90 crore ration consumers would die out of hunger. During the time of the pandemic, the Central government had introduced the ordinance. Our 650 comrades have died in the fight but our resolve was that even of 6,500 martyrs could not deter our movement.”

Later Ashok Bhattacharya said that “Those who had thought that the red flag is now obscure in Siliguri should come to this rally to see our determination. Many common people of Siliguri joined the rally demanding elections quickly to the municipal body at Siliguri.”

It can be recalled that elections to the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad, both of them controlled by the Left Front earlier, is due for over a year now. Though the election dates to the Kolkata Corporation has been announced, still there is no talk about the election to the Siliguri local bodies, and this demand was put forward by the participants in the rally who sloganeered for immediate elections.