Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab: KMSC declines invite to meet Union ministers

JANDIALA: The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) has declined the invitation for November 13 meeting with Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and railway minister Piyush Goyal. KMSC claimed the Centre had extended the invitation to Punjab farmers’ outfits only “even though the agitation was pan India”. “The invitation talks of farmers agitation only in Punjab whereas farmers across the nation are struggling for the annulment of recently introduced three agriculture bills. By attending the meeting with the Union ministers, we don’t want to reaffirm Centre’s stand that the agitation is going on in Punjab only,” KMSC state general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandhar told TOI after a marathon round of meetings here on Thursday. Another farmer leader Gurbachan Singh Chaba said not only had farmer unions from other parts of India not been invited but the Centre had not even resumed the goods train services despite farmers clearing the tracks. “NDA’s Bihar victory is not a stamp of approval for the three farm bills, as claimed by many BJP leaders,” he claimed. The Union agriculture secretary had on November 10 extended invitation 32 farmers organisations to hold discussions with Tomar and Goyal on November 13 in Delhi. KMSC is not part of the conglomerate but supports their cause. KMSC’s rail roko agitation entered 50th day on Thursday.

The Times of India

2020-11-13

Chandigarh