Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers' protest: Farm groups gear up for ‘rail roko’ today

CHANDIGARH: On a call given by Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, the farm organisations are all set to disrupt trains as part of 4-hour ‘rail roko’ on Thursday. The rail traffic will be disrupted across Punjab and Haryana from 12noon to 4pm. The farm organisations have made preparations to make the event a success to exert pressure on the Central government to repeal the farm laws. The activists of farm organisations from Punjab and from other states are mobilising the activists and farmers to participate in rail roko. BKU (Ekta Dakonda) state press secretary Balwant Singh said the activists of 30 farm organisations would disrupt the rail traffic at various places across Punjab for 4 hours to lodge protest against the Centre. Earlier, the farmers had disrupted the road traffic across the country for three hours on February 6. In Haryana, farmer unions would hold ‘rail roko’ at several places. On Wednesday, farmer leaders held a meeting to make the ‘rail roko’ protest a success at Karnal’s Gharaunda railway station. BKU (Charuni) Karnal president Ajay Rana said, “Our protest will be peaceful.” The Karnal administration has also made elaborate arrangements to maintain law and order. Karnal superintendent of police Ganga Ram Punia said, “Two police companies will be deployed at Gharaunda railway station.” Farmers have also planned to stop trains at multiple points in Jind district. Narwana town, Julana, Safidon and Barsola village, which connect Punjab-Delhi and other rail routes, will be the centre of protest. Villagers from every section of society in Barsola village will ensure supply of edible items, snacks and tea for the protesters. Farmers will stop trains at one point in Kaithal district Railway officials said that they will halt the trains at junctions during the protest time. Police arrangements Haryana Police as well as civil authorities claimed to have made comprehensive arrangements in the wake of 4-hour ‘rail roko’ call by farmer outfits for Thursday. Besides deployment of duty magistrates from the districts and senior bureaucrats at division level, the home department has also assigned special duties to the officers of the level of additional director general of police (ADGP) and inspector general-level officers (IGs) across the state to monitor the situation. “We have made arrangements to ensure that the situation remains under control. We are in touch with the officials from India Railways. Depending on the sensitivity of the stations or districts, we have made the deployment of police forces. Our SPs and other senior officials are already having dialogue with leaders to ensure that it passes off peacefully,” said Haryana DGP Manoj Yadava. Box: Nadda meets MPs, MLAs BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday evening had interaction with MPs and MLAs from Haryana and UP to discuss the current situation arising out of the ongoing farmers’ stir. Union ministers Piyush Goel and Narendra Singh Tomar too have attended the meeting held at BJP headquarters in New Delhi, said sources.

The Times of India

2021-02-18

Chandigarh