Ajit Singh's letter warns farmers against divisive attempts

Lucknow: In an open letter to farmers agitating against the new farm laws, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president, Chaudhary Ajit Singh, has warned that attempts would be made the coming days to break the unity of farmers. He has asked farmers to beware of such attempts.

"Farmers are being referred to as terrorists and now 'andolanjivis' which is highly objectionable. We need to keep our young generations informed and connected to the identity and history of farmers' movements. I and every worker of my party is with the farmers and will remain with you in the future too," he wrote.

In a highly emotional letter, Ajit Singh recalled his family's association with farmers, particularly, that of his father and farmer leader, Chaudhary Charan Singh, since the past several decades."It was you who gave me the flag of RLD and made me understand the problems of farmers. The padyatra of 1988 from Meerut to Lucknow is an important milestone in this journey. We have fought battles for farmers' welfare from the streets to the Parliament," he wrote. Singh further reminded farmers that, as industry minister, he had sanctioned lowering the distance limit between sugar mills from 25 km to 15 km, to enable more sugar mills to be set up.

The RLD president said that farmers, today, were facing two problems. On one hand, the new farm laws are driving farmers to the brink of disaster and, on the other, efforts are being made to crush the democratic agitation the farmers.