Demanding repealing of the three contentious Central farm laws, massive district-level protests were held by the farmers across Punjab on Monday, while warning the powers that be to further escalate the protests by setting up permanent “morcha” at New Delhi if their demands were not met.
On a nationwide call given by pan-India front — the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, protests were held outside district headquarters by the representatives of 32 farmers’ organizations across Punjab, marked by slogan shouting and protest marches in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
The farmers’ organizations have been demanding from the Union Government to repeal the three agriculture acts, Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020, and the Ordinance regarding stubble burning were not repealed.
“The farmers’ organizations across Punjab have received huge support from all sections including urban people, youth, students, writers, entertainers, traders, and people in every district,” said Bhartiya Kisan Union-Ekta (Dakonda) general secretary Jagmohan Singh Patiala adding that the massive participation by the people at such a large scale show that the public anger against Modi Government’s policies is increasing day-by-day.
The farmers’ leaders, addressing the gathering at various places, said that because of the ongoing farmers’ protest at the national capital, the Union Government now had to admit that there were innumerable errors in the laws, but still these laws are being imposed on the people by adopting a dictatorial attitude.
The leaders asserted that the amendments proposed by the Union Government were not acceptable at any cost as these “would not change the spirit of the law, thus, the struggle will continue till the laws are repealed”. They stated that the Centre would have to bow down at all costs and the laws would be repealed.
“The policies of globalization, liberalisation and privatization implemented in the country since 1991 have devastated the public sector and if these laws are implemented, the country will go into a major crisis as the entire economy revolves around the agriculture sector now. But the government is on the path of selling everything to domestic and foreign corporate houses,” said one of the farmers’ leader addressing the gathering at Ludhiana, where industrialists have also come out in open support of the farmers.
Claiming that the entire industrial sector has come in farmers’ support, Ludhiana industrialist Ranjodh Singh maintained small and medium industries, including trade circles, are supporting nationwide movement. Ranjodh Singh, managing director of GST Group, also staged protest along with workers, employees and public on the national highway by creating a human chain and carrying flags, placards in support of the farmers.
Another industrialist Parampal Singh also highlighted the flaws in the current farm laws. More than 500 workers and people of Ludhiana city participated in the protest.
In Punjab, protests were held in several districts including Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Bathinda, Moga, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Tarn Taran. “Farmers held protests outside the offices of deputy commissioners at several places in Punjab,” Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said.