Farmers begin five-day protest for debt waiver

Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 24

The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) today started a five-day-long protest in 12 districts, seeking debt waiver for the farmers.

In a press release, union general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan said the protests were launched in the districts of Moga, Sangrur, Barnala, Mansa, Bathinda, Faridkot, Muktsar, Fazilka, Ferozpur, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur and Amritsar. The protests are being held in front of the offices of the respective Deputy Commissioner and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and will continue till May 28.

The protesters included women who were carrying photographs of their family members who had committed suicide.

Union president Joginder Singh Ugrahan alleged that the spate of farmer suicides was due to the support given to the money lenders by the government and the police. He said the Akali government had betrayed the farmers and failed to pay them adequate compensation.

Kokri Kalan demanded that all private or government loans outstanding against the farmers and labourers should be waived. He also demanded that the compensation to the families of farm suicide victims be raised to Rs 5 lakh and one of their kin should also be given a government job.

They said the government should impose a ban on the auction of agricultural land, houses and other properties if a farmer failed to repay the debt. “The government should conduct fresh village-wise survey to ascertain the number of farmers who have committed suicide due to debt so as to provide suitable compensation to their kin,” demanded the farmer leaders.