Kisans to meet CM on Dec 17; seek full loan waiver
After returning from Delhi’s borders, the farmers and farm labourers in Punjab opened a front against the Congress-led State Government on Sunday.
Supported by the farmers, various unions of the farm labourers in Punjab held a ‘rail roko’ agitation, disrupting rail traffic at several places for four hours, seeking loan waiver, among other things
Punjab’s 32 farm organisations have decided to raise the issue of complete loan waiver, as promised by the Congress Party before the 2017 elections, among other issues.
“During the meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and 32 kisan organisations on December 17, the issue of complete loan waiver would be raised. The Punjab Congress should immediately fulfil the promises made in the election manifesto before the 2017 Assembly elections, as the forthcoming elections are very close but the farmers are burdened with debt,” said Bharatiya Kisan Union-Ekta (Dakonda) president Buta Singh Burjgill.
The ‘rail roko’ agitation that was held on a call given by the Sanjha Morcha — a group of farm labourers in Punjab - was held for four hours, seeking waiver of loans taken from microfinance companies, restoration of snapped power connections over non-payment of bills, allocation of five-marla plots to “needy” labourer families in villages, among others.
Notably, the Sanjha Morcha had a meeting with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on November 23.
“At the time, the Chief Minister did not give any assurance over our demands that we raised. We decided to wait for a few days...but when nothing has been done, we decided to launch the agitation to make the Government not only listen to us, but do something for us,” said a representative of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU), who did not wish to be named.
PKMU representative said that most of the people who participated in the protest on Sunday, have returned from the Delhi borders on Saturday only.
The agitation was supported by BKU Ugrahan — the largest farmers’ union in Punjab.
