After returning from Delhi borders, the farmers and farm labourers in Punjab opened front against the Congress-led State Government on Sunday. Supported by the farmers, various unions of the farm labourers in Punjab held rail roko agitation, disrupting rail traffic at several places, for four hours seeking loan waiver, among other demands.
At the same time, Punjab’s all 32 farm organisations have decided to raise the issue of complete loan waiver, as promised by the Congress party before 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 vociferously. Punjab Congress should immediately fulfil the promises made in the election manifesto before 2017 Assembly elections, as the forthcoming elections are very close but the farmers are burdened with debt,” said Bhartiya Kisan Union-Ekta (Dakonda) president Buta Singh Burzgill.
Unfulfilled promises are what irked the farm labourers too. So much so, that a day after returning from Tikri, Singhu borders, they chose not to rest, but seek what they were promised.
The rail roko agitation, on the call given by 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 persons, 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 the state of Punjab.
The representatives of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Krantikari Gramin Mazdoor Union, Dehati Sabha, Mazdoor Mukti Morcha Punjab, Krantikari Gramin Mazdoor Union Punjab and Khet Mazdoor Sabha, while addressing the gatherings at different places, lashed out at the Punjab Government for breaking the promise with the workers.
“The promises to give five marlas of land to the homeless and needy, reservation in cooperative societies, debt waiver, restoration of electricity meter, providing basic daily need items at cheaper rates, among others have not been fulfilled,” said a labour leader.
They maintained that the Chief Minister’s such attitude shows that the Dalit, poor, hardworking labourers were being wooed just to seek votes. They demanded that land should be given to the needy labourers for houses, Rs 50,000 for building a house, all eligible workers should be given work for the entire year under MGNREGA at Rs 600 wages, curb corruption in MGNREGA, Rs 5000 old age and widow pension, among others.
During the agitation, seven trains were halted midway in Bathinda, Barnala, and Sangrur areas under the Ambala Division of railways, while 10 trains were delayed under the Ferozepur Division.
The agitation was organised primarily at nine different locations including Amritsar, Mansa, Jethuke and Pathrala in Bathinda, Goleewala in Faridkot, Tapa in Barnala, Ajitwal in Moga, Chowkimaan in Ludhiana’s Jagraon constituency and Phillaur in Jalandhar.
