The leaders of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) have announced to lay siege to the railway tracks for at least three hours in 11 districts of Punjab on Sunday.
The protest is being held over their various demands, including the one in which action is sought against those who allegedly attacked a group of farmers sitting on a protest against three farm laws at the Singhu border in January 2021.
The protest will hamper the rail traffic from 1 pm to 4 pm, mainly on the Amritsar-Delhi tracks, Amritsar-Khemkaran tracks, and Amritsar-Pathankot tracks.
KMSC’s general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers will block the rail traffic at 13 locations in 11 districts — Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Moga, Muktsar, Mansa, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana.
“A BJP leader and his around 250 supporters had attacked the farmers who were protesting against the three farm laws (now repealed) with petrol bombs on January 29, 2021. However, instead of taking action against the attackers, the police resorted to cane charge the farmers, including women. It has been two years, and still, there is no action against the accused. We want strict action against them,” Pandher said.
Pandher further said that the government had given written consent for making a law which ensures MSP. “The work for making this law should be initiated immediately. Similarly, the cases registered against farmers in New Delhi for protesting against three farm laws should be revoked. The family members of those who were killed during the Delhi protests should be given government jobs and compensation,” Pandher added.
{{/usCountry}}Pandher further said that the government had given written consent for making a law which ensures MSP. “The work for making this law should be initiated immediately. Similarly, the cases registered against farmers in New Delhi for protesting against three farm laws should be revoked. The family members of those who were killed during the Delhi protests should be given government jobs and compensation,” Pandher added.
{{/usCountry}}KMSC’s president Satnam Singh Pannu said the accused of the Lakhimpur Kheri case, Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra, should be sent back to jail after cancelling his bail. The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted eight-week interim bail to him in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, which claimed eight lives.
The other demands of the farmers pertaining to the Centre government include revocation of the draft of the electricity amendment bill, and abandoning the agreements made by the Indian government with World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The demands with the state government include clearing the pending payment of farmers for their sugarcane crops and adequate compensation to the farmers whose lands are being acquired for road projects.