Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers' rail-roko stir enters Day 3 in Amritsar

Amritsar, December 22Farmers under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) continued with their ‘rail roko’ stir near Devidaspura on the third consecutive day on Wednesday.The agitators observed the martyrdom day of two eldest Sahibzadas of 10th Sikh Master — Guru Gobind Singh.KMSC leaders Satnam Singh Pannu and Sarwan Singh Pandher said apart from the ongoing protest sites in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Hoshiarpur, the road block was also set up at Moga and Fazilka railway stations on Wednesday.The KMSC leaders also held a meeting with IG border range, DC Amritsar and SP Amritsar Rural. The farmer leaders said the meeting did not yield any result due to the adamant attitude of the officials.They said the state government under Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was running away from providing jobs and compensations to the kin of farmers, who have died during the agitation at Delhi borders. They also sought ensuring payment of sugarcane dues, increase of sugarcane prices to Rs360 per quintal and complete loan waiver of agriculture sector.Pandher said the agitation would continue till the demands of the farmers and labourers were accepted.Protest on in Tarn Taran tooThe dharnas by farmers associated with two different organisations entered the third day on Wednesday. Two organisations have been fighting against the state government to waive the entire loan of farmers.The workers of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), Punjab, who were sitting on the rail track at the local railways station arranged kirtan darbar by remembering the martyrdom of Chaar Sahibzadas and performed ardas for the success of the farmers’ agitation. The farmers remained at the dharna sites at night too.Harjinder Singh Shakari, KMSC leader, condemned Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for denying to waive off the loan of farmers. He said the state government had totally failed to fulfil the promises made with farmers and the general masses which include employment to all, unemployment allowance and others at the time of 2017 elections in their manifesto.Meanwhile, workers of Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) staged a dharna in front of the district administration complex (DAC). The agitating farmers locked the doors of the complex on Tuesday.Gurbaj Singh Sidhwan, district president of the organisation, said they have been demanding compensation on the loss of paddy and cotton crop to the farmers and labourers, increasing of sugarcane rate and others demands including roll back of increasing rates on the toll plazas.

The Tribune

2021-12-23