E-Paper
2-hour ‘rail roko’ protest on October 3 over MSP
Among the farmers’ demands are immediate release of pending arrears worth ₹28 crore of sugarcane growers, guarantee on minimum support price, justice to the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri victims and increase in the prices of sugarcane crop.
Farmers will block rail tracks across the state for two hours (12.30 pm to 2.30 pm) on October 3 over their pending demands, including MSP guarantee. Addressing a press conference, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) convener Sarwan Singh Pandher said both the state and the Central governments had “completely adopted an insensitive approach” towards the farmers as they are “not paying any heed” to their long pending demands.
The protesting farmers, led by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 when their “Delhi Chalo” march was stopped by security forces.
He added that the farmers were demanding immediate release of pending arrears worth ₹28 crore of sugarcane growers, guarantee on minimum support price, justice to the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri victims, increase in the prices of sugarcane crop and others.
“The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has completely failed to put forward the demands of the farmers for which they have been sitting at the Shambhu border for months now. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has even failed to counter the Centre over the murderous attack on protesting farmers in Punjab territory,” he said.
He added the Congress government backed the farmers’ protest in 2020 when they laid siege to Delhi borders for over a year. “The then CM Captain Amarinder Singh had strongly put forward our demands with the Centre and tackled the issue with more political maturity than the AAP government,” he said.
Meanwhile, the farmers warned the state government that they would lay siege to Punjab roads if the farmers face any inconvenience during the paddy season.
