Farmers in Punjab have initiated a three-day ‘rail roko’ agitation, blocking train tracks at various locations to voice their demands, encompassing financial aid for losses incurred due to recent floods, a legal assurance for Minimum Support Price (MSP), and debt forgiveness.
The protest against the Central Government is set to continue until September 30. Demonstrations are planned in several cities across Punjab, including Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Amritsar.
In Amritsar, farmers occupied the Amritsar-Delhi railway track in Devidas Pura, symbolizing their commitment to the cause.
Numerous farmer organizations, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari), BKU (Ekta Azaad), Azaad Kisan Committee Doaba, BKU (Behramke), BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), and BKU (Chottu Ram), are actively participating in the protest.
Their demands encompass the allocation of a financial relief package for flood-affected individuals in North Indian states, a legally binding guarantee for Minimum Support Price on all crops, and debt relief for farmers.
In Amritsar, farmer leader Gurbachan Singh emphasized that the farmers are seeking Rs 50,000-crore flood relief package for North Indian states and the implementation of MSP in line with the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report.
Furthermore, he demanded the complete waiver of debt for farmers and laborers, along with Rs 10 lakh compensation and government employment for the families of farmers who lost their lives during the agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws.
The 'rail roko' protest has been organized by 19 farmer unions spanning six North Indian states, all advocating for the realization of their demands. The primary organization among the six Punjab-based farmer unions is the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), which has garnered support from unions in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
Their primary objectives include securing Rs 50,000 crore flood relief package for flood victims in affected North Indian states, enacting an MSP guarantee law, providing 300 days of employment under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), and addressing the issue of drug addiction, particularly in Punjab.
KMSC president Satnam Singh Pannu said that protests are being staged at 12 locations in Punjab, including Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Batala, Jalandhar Cantonment, Tarn Taran, Sunam, Nabha, Basti Tankwali, Mallanwala, Rampura, and Devidaspura in Amritsar.
The protest has also garnered support from farmers in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh, who are converging on Punjab to join their fellow farmers in blocking railway tracks.
