Thirteen farmers’ outfits in Punjab, held a State-wide protest against three ordinances of the Centre on Monday.
The agitating farmers took out protest marches at several places in the State, including Ludhiana, Moga, Muktsar, Phagwara and Hoshiarpur, to express their anger.
They were protesting against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance.
The farmers moved towards the residences or offices of the leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP in their tractors to protest against the ordinances.
Adequate numbers of police personnel were deployed in view of the farmers’ state-wide protest, officials said.
Thirteen farmers’ outfits, including All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugarhan), BKU (Krantikari) and BKU (Sidhuwal), joined hands to launch the protest.
The main apprehension of the farming community against these ordinances was the dismantling of the minimum support price system for foodgrain procurement.
In Phagwara, farmers in around 500 tractors moved from the grain market to the residence of Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash.
They put up black flags and “anti-ordinances” banners on tractors. The protest threw road traffic out of gear on the Hoshiarpur-Phagwara road and later the protesters were stopped by police at some distance from Parkash’’s residence. They held rallies at grain market and on the main road of Urban Estate, a few furlongs away from the residence of the minister.
Manjit Singh Rai, President BKU (Doaba), alleged that these ordinances would pave way for the entry of corporates into agriculture activities, forcing small farmers out of their ancestral profession. They also alleged that the minimum support price (MSP) of crops would be withdrawn, leaving farmers at the mercy of private players.
Satnam Singh Sahni, General Secretary Doaba Kisan Union urged Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to convene an emergency session of the Punjab Vidhan
Sabha for adopting a unanimous resolution against these ordinances. Farmers said a countrywide protest will be held against these ordinances on August 9.