Alleging harassment by Haryana Police, farmers rally support for Golden Hut 'dhaba' at Kurushetra

While farmers prepared to observe ‘Black Day’ on Saturday, June 26 to mark the completion of seven months of their sit-in protest at Delhi’s borders, an eatery on the Ambala-Delhi highway has become a rallying point.

Farmers allege that Haryana Police have been harassing the owner of Golden hut dhaba at Kurushetra for extending ‘Sewa’ to the farmers. The road to the eatery has been blocked, they alleged, and boulders had been placed. The owner, Ram Singh Rana, has been warned that if he does not stop helping protesting farmers, his resort too would be destroyed, they alleged.

Ever since November 26, when farmers began their sit-in at the Delhi border points, Rana offered them shelter, food, water and milk. He put up a langaralso for the protesting farmers and set up flour milling machines to grin wheat into flour.

Rana claims to have grown his business from a tea stall on the highway. His restaurant was doing well and when he saw farmers travelling to Delhi during the harsh winter months, he impulsively had offered them the sanctuary of his rooms. That was the beginning and since then he has been helping the protesting farmers in various ways.”

We have blocked the road for now. If you don’t stop, your dhaba will be destroyed too’… that’s the threat Rana ji has received,” said an upset farmer.

Farmers have now started a social media campaign to help Rana and his eatery. “Free food, 11000 water campers, milk, flour mill, accommodation for farmers -- don’t you think this is something a Government should normally do for people during a calamity or disaster? Rana ji did this single handedly for farmers. We will never forget,” said a farmer.

“The Government is playing cheap politics by harassing supporters of farmers. Earlier, it sent NIA notices to businessmen who provided buses to farmers and now now it is s targeting Rana ji by blocking the road to his restaurant and crushing his earnings,” said another.

“Let us all support Golden Hut by pledging to eat at the restaurant whenever we pass by. Or just stop by to appreciate Rana ji. Give him reviews on the websites & SM,” tweeted a farm leader, instantly eliciting supportive retweets. The farmers have repeatedly clashed with Haryana ministers and ruling party MLAs during the past several months. Several Haryana ministers have been forced to call off their visits and meetings in districts. Haryana Agriculture Minister JP Dalal and MLA Devendra Singh Babli had to apologise to farmers for their abusive comments. Even Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had to put off some of his public meetings in the face of protests by farmers.

On the next leg of protests marking seven months of the sit-in, farmers plan to observe the day as ‘Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao Diwas’ (Save agriculture, save democracy day). Farmers in states and Union Territories have been asked to stage a protest march to the Raj Bhawan in every state capital or UT. A protest letter addressed to the President will be handed over to Governors in states and Lieutenant Governors in Union Territories.

June also marks a year of the Government promulgating the controversial farm Ordinances in the middle of the pandemic last year. While they were introduced in and bulldozed through Parliament in September by the Government, farmers have been demanding the repeal of the laws since the beginning. While the Supreme Court has suspended the operation of the laws, an expert committee constituted by the apex court submitted its report to the court in March this year.