The agitating farmers in Punjab on Tuesday waved a green flag to the rail traffic but decided to continue their protest against the SAD-BJP combine Government by fluttering black flags to the who’s who of the ruling combine.
After a week-long ‘rail roko’ agitation, the protesting farmers have finally decided to put an end to their rail blockades despite failure to receive a convincing assurance from the State Government after four-hour-long meeting on Monday evening.
At the same time, the farmer organisations made it clear that their agitation against the Parkash Singh Badal-led Government would continue in support of their demand for higher compensation.
The farmers have now decided that, instead of blocking tracks, they will gherao all the State Ministers, ruling party MlAs, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, and other leaders of the ruling combine at all district headquarters on October 22.
“We have decided to call off our ‘rail roko’ agitation,” announced BKU Ekta (Dakunda) General Secretary Jagmohan Singh adding that their agitation against the SAD-BJP led State Government would continue for non-acceptance of their demands, including higher compensation for cotton-crop loss.
“Our agitation will continue. We will now change the format of our agitation. We have decided to gherao all the State ministers, ruling party MlAs, other party leaders at all the district headquarters on October 22.
We will also show black flags to the ministers, ruling party leaders at village-level regularly,” he said. The decision was taken by the farmers organisations on late Monday evening after holding their core committee meeting, which continued till late night at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh.
The farmers' agitation, which began on October 7, paralysed rail movement in Punjab with over 1,100 trains being affected because of the protest in Ambala and Ferozepur divisions of railways, causing inconvenience to passengers and heavy financial loss to railway authorities.
The crucial talks between protesting farmers and Badal failed to break the deadlock over peasants' demands on Monday, following which farmers announced to continue with their agitation till today.
“Our meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was a failure despite some positive results,” Singh said. The BKU leader lashed out at Badal for expressing “inability” to raise the quantum of compensation for cotton-crop loss and basmati prices.
“During the meeting, Badal told us that the State Government has nothing to offer. But said our demands are genuine and farmers are in pain.
Badal said that his Government's financial position was worse than the cotton crop, which has been extensively damaged by the whitefly attack,” Singh said.
“Should such kind of response be given by a Chief Minister to protesting farmers,” asked Singh.
He said that the State Government was not ready to pay more than Rs 8,000 per acre as compensation for crop loss and the government also did not accede to their demand of giving higher rates for PUSA 1121 basmati variety.
“The State Government told us that PUSA 1121 basmati crop will not be purchased at the minimum support price (MSP) by the state agencies. We were demanding higher rates for PUSA 1121 variety which is in great demand in overseas markets like Iran,” he said.
However, he said that Punjab Police DGP Sumedh Saini, who was also present in the meeting of farmers with Badal, had assured them that police would inquire into alleged fleecing of farmers by arhtiyas who had been paying “lower rates” to the farmers for PUSA 1509 basmati variety.
Protesting farmers have been demanding Rs 40,000 per acre compensation for farmers whose crop got damaged by whitefly attack, Rs 20,000 per family compensation for farm labourers, Rs 4,500 per quintal rate for Basmati PUSA 1509 variety, Rs 5,000 per quintal for Basmati PUSA 1121.
Besides, they are also seeking payments of sugarcane dues by private mills, debt relief and Rs five lakh financial assistance to the family of farmers who committed suicide.
Asked what the farmers got from the State Government, BKU leader said that the State has offered to pay Rs 64 crore compensation to farm labourers.
On the issue of debt waiver, Singh said that the Chief Minister has assured that he would take up the matter with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) while for cooperative loans, the State Government would come out with a policy.
To check exploitation of farmers by commission agents (arhtiyas), Singh said that the State Government would come out with a Money lending Act in this regard.
He said that Badal had also assured that land ownership would be given to those who had been cultivating land for long and land was in their name as girdwari. After the meeting with representatives of farmers remained inconclusive, Badal had again appealed to them to lift their rail blockade while assuring that he was ever ready to resolve any issue related to agriculture through mutual dialogue.
Badal had termed as “very unfortunate” and “agonizing” the inconvenience caused to various section of people particularly women, children and students, due to the rail blockade. Farmers' organizations along with farm labour outfits, including BKU Ekta (Dakunda), BKU Ekta (Ugrahan), BKU (Krantikari), Kirti Kisan Union, were participating in the 'Rail Roko' agitation which began on October 7. Initially, the agitation was for two days - October 7 and 8 but it was extended for two days till October 10, and then was extended to another two days, lasting till October 12.