Amritsar: All out on roads protesting; Is anyone listening?

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 8

To protest against high prices of petrol, diesel and LPG, farmers staged protests at 10 different places in the district on Thursday. The protests were organised as per the call given by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha leading the protest against the three controversial agricultural laws.

Long queues of tractors were seen standing alongside the roads at towns including Rayya, Mehta, Mannawala, Kathunagal, Majitha, Attari, Ajnala, Chogawan, India Gate and Golden Gate among other places. As a symbol of high prices of LPG, farmers carried empty cylinders on their tractors.

Rattan Singh Randhawa, a farmer leader associated with SKM said: “The participation in protest was encouraging. Even as the paddy transplantation season is going on, a large number of farmers attended the protests at all sites.” While farmers protested, they did not block any roads as earlier decided by the leaders. They stood on the roadsides for two hours — from 10 am to 12pm.

Lakhbir Singh Nizampura of Vegetable Growers’ Association, who lead the protest at Nawa Pind on Amritsar-Mehta road, said: “The Centre and state governments has made diesel, petrol and LPG as a mean to earn revenue and help the corporates in amassing all wealth. The poor are no longer able to purchase LPG and even diesel is out of reach.”

The protesters carried placards demanding decrease in prices of fuel and control inflation. They also demanded repealing of three agriculture laws stating that with corporates taking control of the markets, the poor would not be able to afford even food.

While criticisng the Central government for rise in prices of fuel, the farmer leaders accused opposition parties of not taking up the issue and mobilising public. Farmers said most of the traditional parties were pro-corporate as they need funds to contest elections.

Trade unions up in arms against Centre

Amritsar: On the call given by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, members of various trade unions, on Thursday held a demonstration against inflation and fuel prices at Bhandari Bridge on Thursday. Carrying empty LPG cylinders, protesters raised slogans against PM Narendra Modi-led Central Government. They said the Centre has turned a blind eye towards the plight of a common man. “Price of LPG cylinder has increased from Rs400 to nearly Rs900 during the NDA rule. Rates of pulses and edible oil has also increased manifold,” said Daswinder Kaur, a communist leader. She said earlier farmers and now labourers would end their lives along with their families if the Centre fails to take corrective measures. Another communist leader, Amarjit Singh Asal, said, “Demonetisation, faulty GST, Covid-19 and unscheduled power cuts, have ruined the industry and traders. The Centre and the state government are a mute spectators. The Central Government is busy in its Cabinet expansion while it has doing nothing to provide any relief to people and industry,” he said. Gurdip Singh Gilwali, Rajinderpal Kaur, Narinderpal Kaur, Kulwant Rai Bawa and Rakesh Handa, among others, were also present. TNS