They just want respect for their hard work: Vinesh Phogat supports farmers’ protest

NEW DELHI: Expressing solidarity with the ongoing farmers’ protest against the new agriculture laws, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has come out in support, saying that they just want respect for their hard work.Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the Khel Ratna awardee wrote (translated from Hindi), “Tired of speaking, now I just want a solution. I do not want anyone else’s rights but just want respect for my hard work #Farmersprotest…”Earlier in the day, Yograj Singh, the father of cricketer Yuvraj Singh, urged the Central Government to listen to the demands of the farmers. He also backed all the sportspersons who are ready to return their awards in order to show support with the protesting farmers.”Farmers are demanding the right thing, the government should listen to them. It is really high time that the government should come up with solutions in this regard and I back all those sportspersons who are returning their prestigious award,” Yograj told ANI.”Sportspersons returning award does not mean that they are defaming the award. It is their way to show their solidarity with the protesting farmers. Awards are earned by hard work of many years. It is not easy to get. So if they are returning it, I back them. I am also with farmers, they are demanding the right thing,” he added.Some sportspersons of Punjab and Haryana have been returning their awards (Padma, Dronacharya and Arjuna award) in order to show solidarity with the farmers.Speaking about returning the awards, wrestler Kartar Singh told ANI: “In support to farmers in their protest, we will return awards.”Boxer Vijender Singh, who joined the farmers’ agitation at the Singhu border (Haryana-Delhi border), on Sunday, had also said that he will return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award if the new agriculture laws are not withdrawn.Addressing a gathering of protestors, Vijender said, “I came here today as our big brother Punjab is here, so how can people of Haryana lag behind. If the government does not withdraw the black laws, I will return my Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award–the highest sporting honour of the nation.”Thousands of farmers have gathered in and around Delhi to protest against the three farm laws, passed in the Monsoon Session of Parliament in September.The farmers are protesting against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.