Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers protest outsidehouses of MPs/MLAs against agri-ordinances

Sangrur/Patiala/Bathinda Farmers in their thousands, under the banner of 10 Kisan Unions, protested outside the residence of around a 100 leaders including MLAs, Punjab cabinet ministers and Member Parliament (MPs) across the state on Monday. The farmers are demanding the repeal of three ordinances for farming issued by the central government and the withdrawal of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The hiked rates of petrol and diesel and the fear of Minimum Support Price (MSP) system not being implemented are other concerns.The All-India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) had given the protest call, held to mark the start of the ‘Quit India Movement’ on August 8, 1942. Reminiscent of the movement, farmers chanted the slogan of ‘Corporates Leave Farming’.In Patiala, farmers protested outside the residence of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, cabinet ministers Brahm Mohindra, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and MP Preneet Kaur. In Sangrur, they held protests opposite the residence of school education minister Vijay Inder Singla, Sunam MLA Aman Arora and MP Bhagwant Mann.Protests were also held outside the residence of finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, revenue minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar and union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal in Bathinda. They met SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal at Badal village and urged him to raise their voice in Parliament.Darshan Pal, state convener of AIKSCC, said, “We have asked MLAs and MPs that if they will not raise our voice in state assemblies and Parliament to withdraw three ordinances, Electricity Act, 2020, and give us relief from hiked prices of petrol and diesel, they will have to face protests in villages and towns. Crop prices must be paid to us as per the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission report.” He added that have given a 9-point charter of demands. TWO FACTIONS PROTEST IN BATHINDA Two factions of farmer associations protested against the state and the Centre at different places in Bathinda on Monday. Physical distancing and covering of faces in public places in view of the pandemic outbreak was violated at both venues. Under the banner of All-India Kisan Sangarsh Talmel Committee, about 10 farmer right associations threatened to launch a protest against the finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Aam Party legislator from Bathinda (rural) Rupinder Kaur Ruby. In the other protest, Left-leaning farm associations protested near the Children Park. BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur) leader Resham Singh said the three central ordinances would pave the way to end the Minimum Support Price (MSP) in a phased manner. Farmers handed over a memorandum to the political adviser to chief minister Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon. WILL NEVER LET ANYBODY STOP MSP AND FREE POWER: SUKHBIR Chandigarh SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said that he was ready to make ‘any personal or political sacrifice’ in the fight to safeguard and promote the cause of the peasantry in Punjab. “Be it the issue of any threat, present or future, to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime, with assured marketing of farmers’ crop or to the free power facility for the farmers that the Parkash Singh Badal-led SAD-BJP government introduced in the state, I and my party will never allow the current dispensation to be disturbed nor allow anyone to rob the peasantry,” Sukhbir told a delegation of All India (Kul Hind) Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee at his residence in Badal village. On the alleged confusion on the intricacies of the ordinances, Sukhbir said, “I have already conveyed to the Centre that neither the MSP regime with assured marketing, nor the free power facility in Punjab can be allowed to be tinkered with under any pretext.” The former deputy CM assured the farmers that if the MSP or free power regime was stopped, or even diluted, he would personally lead protests.

Hindustan Times

10-08-2020

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