Farmers Movement Archive

Protests in Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur too

Shimla: ‘Bharat Bandh’ call given farm bodies failed to make any major impact in Himachal Pradesh. Traffic was blocked only at few places as the HP-based Sanyukt Kisan Manch protested demanding help for apple farmers. Farmers and apple growers held protest demonstrations in support of their demands at state capital, beside Theog, Kotkhai, Jubbal, Rohru, Narkanda, Rampur area of the district, Nalagarh in Solan district and Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district. In Shimla town, protesters, under the banner of Sanyukat Kisan Manch, blocked traffic near Victory Tunnel, while some members of Kisan Mazdoor Sandarsh Samiti blocked traffic at Nalagarh Chowk. Sanyukat Kisan Manch convenor Harish Chauhan claimed that their bandh call received massive support of public, beside various farmers organisations. Co-convenor Sanjay Chauhan said despite the memorandum being sent to the government regarding their 13 demands, including not getting the right prices for apple crop, arbitrariness of corporate companies, loot at APMC mandis and check posts, the government did not listen to them. Besides repeal the new farm laws, the protesters also sought implementation of MSP for all crops, implementation of market intervention scheme (MIS) on the lines of Kashmir for apple, compressed atmospheric (CA) stores of private companies, and apple growers should be allowed to store their 25% boxes. They are also demanding 90% subsidy on the construction of CA stores by the farmers’ cooperative societies, beside rolling back the hike in the transportation fare.

The Times of India

2021-09-28

Shimla