Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab CM expresses concern as farmer outfit refuses to allow passenger trains

With a farmer outfit in Amritsar refusing to lift its blockade of passenger trains, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said this will put people to major inconvenience and may have grave consequences for the state. He said by striking the discordant note, the farmers’ union is acting against the interests of Punjab and its people.The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee has refused to budge from its stand on clearing rail tracks for passenger trains till the farm laws issue is resolved.However, 30 other farmers’ bodies have already announced to lift the blockade.When all other farmers’ organisations had decided unanimously to withdraw from the tracks to allow both goods and passenger trains to move in the state for the next 15 days, this one union’s decision is not understandable, said Amarinder Singh in a statement here. This would alienate the committee from people, he said cautioning it against taking such a harsh stand, which could lead them losing the support of the masses. “When the state government and every person in Punjab have been extending their full support to the farmers, why is this union taking a stance against their own state,” he asked. Read more | Chandigarh wakes up to misty morningHe said the committee should not do anything to derail the process of negotiation and discussion. It is in the interest of all, including farmers themselves, to find a solution to the problems unleashed by the central laws, on which every section of Punjab’s populace as well as his government are standing shoulder to shoulder with the farming community, said the CM.The message that is emanating from the “adamant” stand of the committee is that the union is not really interested in breaking the stalemate on the farm laws issue, Amarinder Singh said.In any case, said the CM, blocking a one-odd track will serve no purpose even for the committee, which incidentally has chosen to stay away from the meeting convened by him on Saturday to urge the farm unions to lift their blockade.Farmers under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee have been protesting against the farm laws since September 24.

Hindustan Times

23-11-2020

India