Farmers, workers up in arms against Bill

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 1

Farmers and farm workers, under the banner of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), today protested at the Mini-Secretariat in response to a call given by the state-level coordination committee of farmers’ and workers’ organisations. After the protest, the activists submitted a memorandum to the district authorities against the alleged anti-farmer Land Acquisition Bill, demanding its withdrawal.

Speakers at the rally, including Hardev Singh Sandhu, Tarlochan Singh Jhordan, Darshan Singh Koohli and Sudagar Singh Ghudani, asked the government to desist from attempts to disband the Food Corporation of India and ensure purchase of all crops on remunerative prices, remit all agricultural loans, provide compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of farmers committing suicide and enhance subsidies on farm inputs to reduce the cost of cultivation.

The protesting farmers and farm workers also demanded withdrawal of the Damage to Private and Government Property Act, grant ownership rights to cultivators, allotment of residential plots to small farmers and farm workers, speedy payment of arrears under the MNREGA scheme and old age/widow pension and enactment of the legislation for adequate compensation to farmers for crop losses due to natural calamities.