Farmers Movement Archive

Akali Dal to protest against farm Bills on September 25

The Shiromani Akali Dal on Tuesday said the party will hold a State-wide ‘chakka jam’ (road block) on September 25 in protest against the farm Bills. A decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s core committee, which was presided over by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal. It was also decided that Mr. Badal would visit various parts of the State from September 26 to 29 to interact with the party cadre. Party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said party leaders and workers have been asked to hold the ‘chakka jam’ in all constituencies in league with the farmers, farm labourers and commission agents. “The party will observe a three-hour programme from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Party workers have been asked not to come in the way of emergency services,” he said. He said the core committee also decided to contact all like-minded regional parties across the country to evolve a joint strategy to forge a united fight to get the anti-farmer Bills revoked. “It also resolved to pursue all logical steps to ensure the discrimination being meted out to the farmers was removed,” he added. APMC Act Mr. Cheema said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh should inform the State’s farmers and farm labourers as to why he was refusing to rescind the Punjab APMC Act, 2017, which he himself implemented. Mr. Badal said the Chief Minister was responsible for amending the APMC Act in 2017 to allow the creation of private yards, e-trading and direct marketing. “The special Assembly session should also discuss the Congress party’s role in the framing of the agricultural ordinances which became Bills recently.” He said the State government was part of the high-power committee which framed the ordinances. “Subsequently the Congress government even sent a note to the Centre agreeing with many of the provisions of the ordinances. Farmers want to know why the Chief Minister kept this entire exercise secret and why he did not take any clearance from farmers before taking a decision which would destroy their future generations.” Special Assembly session should discuss Congress’s role in framing of the farm ordinances

The Hindu

2020-09-23

CHANDIGARH