Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers to meet Punjab CM Channi today; demand debt waiver, cancellation of FIRs

Farmers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, pressuring the Punjab government over several key demands, are set to meet the state's chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday to keep their claims before the administration – which includes farm debt waiver, cancellation of FIRs lodged against farmers during the anti-farm law agitation and low compensation given for land acquired for highway projects.Also Read | Farmers continue sit-in at Ludhiana mini-secretariatFarmer unions, part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), have over the past few days been putting up demonstrations across multiple protest sites in Punjab, demanding a complete waiver of farm loans and compensation to the kin of those who died during the anti-farm laws stir. On Monday and Tuesday, they blocked railway tracks at different places in Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Hoshiarpur, affecting the movement of as many as 156 trains.According to Ferozepur division railway officials, 84 trains were cancelled, 47 short-terminated and 25 short-originated.Meanwhile, a group of farmers also staged a sit-in on Wednesday outside the office of the deputy commissioner (DC) in Ludhiana.DC Varinder Kumar Sharma, who was not allowed to move out for lunch by the protesting farmers, finally came out of his office in the evening under a security cover.In the wake of this agitation, Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi will be meeting the protesting farmers to discuss the demands placed before the government. Ahead of this all-important meet, members of as many as 32 farm unions met in Ludhiana on Saturday to finalise their agenda.What are the farmers demanding?“Farm debt waiver, cancellation of FIRs lodged against farmers during agitation, and low compensation given for land acquired for highway projects are major issues that we will take up,” said farm leaders Harinder Lakhowal, Prem Singh Bhangu, Hardev Singh Sandhu, Kirpa Singh, and Kiranjit Singh Sekhon.Also Read | Punjab polls: Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni launches political partyBhangu added, “The state government had assured us that FIRs lodged against farmers during the stir in the state will be cancelled and the issue of cases lodged in Chandigarh will be taken up with the governor. Nothing has happened.”The government will be pressured to regularise contractual employees, who have been on protest across the state. Farmers said they also demand the suspension of the DSP who cane-charged protesting ETT Teachers. Lakhowal added that they will also demand compensation for land acquired for projects at current market rates. Farm leaders added that protests from toll plazas will not be lifted, till the hike in charges was not rolled back.

Hindustan Times

23-12-2021

India