Farmers Movement Archive

Expose Centre’s false propaganda on bonded labour, says KMSC

Amritsar, April 3Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) opposed the Centre’s claim regarding practice of bonded labour in border districts of Punjab.Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary, KMSC, said its an attempt by the Central Government to defame farmers of the state.He said, “The Centre is trying to tarnish the image of Punjabi farmers, who are leading the nationwide demonstration against three agri laws for the last four months. Earlier, they made several attempts to derail our protest, but failed to succeed. Now, the Centre has written to the Punjab Government about the practice of bonded labour in border districts.”Pandher alleged that media trial of farmers has been going on in the country.“Punjabi farmers serve humanity. During the outbreak of the Covid-19, lakhs of migrant labourers left the state and farmers gave them food and other facilities. Soon after the lockdown, labourers again came back to Punjab. It’s a deliberate attempt by the Centre to divide farmers and labourers of other states,” he said.The KMSC gave a call to debunk the false propaganda of the Centre. It’s pertinent to mention that the Centre has written to the Punjab Government that 58 mentally challenged people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were found working as bonded labourers in the border districts of the state and asked it to take appropriate action.The Home Ministry SAID the BSF informed that these labourers were rescued from border areas of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Abohar between 2019 and 2020.

The Tribune

2021-04-04