The United Front of Ex-Servicemen has urged veterans and their dependents to extend their support to the farmers’ protest and also join the movement, underlining that over 70 per cent of defence personnel belong to peasant families.

In a letter, Maj. Gen. Satbir Singh (retd), adviser to the United Front of Ex-Servicemen and chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, called on veterans to mobilise and extend support to the farmers fighting for repeal of the three new farm laws, which they believe will be their “death warrant”, and a legally guaranteed minimum support price.

“Over 70 per cent of the defence personnel belong to farmers’ families, therefore, we the ex-servicemen and our dependents support the farmers in their peaceful protest for the repeal of the three agricultural laws,” the letter dated January 16 said.

“In order to showcase our solidarity, all ex-servicemen and their dependents are requested to assemble… at the protest locations from 11am to3 pm at the Singhu border (January 20), Tikri border (January 21) and the Ghazipur border (January 22),” it said.

“All ex-servicemen and their dependents are requested to wear their medals/ribbons,” it added.

Maj. Gen. Singh also requested veterans to donate as much as possible to the organisers leading the agitation.

Kerala farmers

Around 400 farmers from Kerala have joined the protest near the Rajasthan-Haryana border against the three new farm laws, PTI added.

The group reached Alwar’s Shahjahanpur on Friday to participate in the sit-in launched by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha against the Centre’s farm laws, former CPM MLA Amra Ram said. “The farmers are protesting amid intense cold but the Centre is not bothered.”