Rakesh Tikait & co insist on 'super-spreader' mass arrest as farmers gather in Tohana

Amid the continued farmers' protest against the three farm laws, more than 2,000 farmers gathered in Tohana on Saturday to get themselves arrested in protest against the June 2 arrest of protestors Vikas Sinwar and Ravi Azad by Tohana Sadar Police.

Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav, Gurnaam Singh Chaduni and many farmer leaders have decided to go to the Tohana police station to surrender. While addressing the media, Rakesh Tikait said that government is not ready to discuss with the protesting farmers. Gurnaam Singh Chaduni has proposed to surrender to the Haryana police, however, the absence of the duty magistrate is delaying the arrest and Rakesh Tikait is believed to surrender shortly, according to the sources. The state administration has deployed a force of 2,400 personnel to maintain law and order situation amid the protest.

The protesting farmers have put forward two demands:

• To free Vikas Sinwar and Ravi Azad, the farmers who were arrested on June 2nd by Tohana Sadar police
• To arrest Tohana JJP MLA, Mr Devendra Bubli for his anti farmer stand.

Rakesh Tikait has been alleging that the government is not initiating talks with the farmers. However, the government has already maintained that it is ready for a clause by clause discussion of the three farm laws. However, it is the farmers who have expressed reluctance on multiple occasions while stating that they will come to the discussion table if the government agrees to repeal the farm laws.

On June 3,  BJP-JJP MLA Devender Singh Babli was attacked by few protestors on Tuesday in Haryana's Fatehabad, however, the protestors have demanded an apology from the MLA and threatened to gherao every police station of the district on June 7 if an apology is not received from him till June 6.

Amid the pandemic, scores of protestors decided to march towards Haryana Speaker's house and gherao in a bid to protest the farm laws. In order to bring the situation under control, the Haryana Police has resorted to lathi charging the protestors. The farmers blocked the Chandigarh Shimla Highway amid the entire fiasco.

Farmers protests amid COVID-19 pandemic

The farmers' protests have been going on for the past six months despite the country grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. The farmers have refused to call off their protests even during the lockdowns or restrictions imposed in the national capital and other states when the country struggled to control the surge of infections due to the devastating second wave of COVID-19. The protestors, having gathered in thousands and many of them without masks, have shown utter disregard for COVID appropriate behaviour amid the raging pandemic.

Previously, in April, when Republic Media Network interviewed several farmers protesting at the Delhi borders, they refused to believe on the COVID-19 pandemic being a reality. Many protestors were of the opinion that the pandemic is a government conspiracy to derail the farmers' protest, while some of them said they are ready to get themselves vaccinated so that they can continue with the protest.

Farmers protests against farm laws

Thousands of farmers have been protesting and demanding the repeal of the farm laws, despite the Centre staying the implementation of the farm laws for 18 months and giving repeated assurance on the continuance of the MSP mechanism. The Centre has also accommodated several other demands of farmers however, the farmers have been reluctant with their demand of repeal of the three new farm laws. Rakesh Tikait has given provocative statements on multiple occasions such as urging the farmers to burn their produce or even gherao the parliament. He had called for a tractor rally on Republic Day despite several requests to refrain from holding one, which ultimately led to Republic Day violence, injuring over 500 police personnel.