Farmer unions hold meeting to mobilise support for ‘pucca morcha’ in Chandigarh tomorrow

A meeting of the Kul Hind Kisan Sabha and the Vegetable Producers’ Organization was on Monday held at Nawan Pind near here. The purpose was to mobilise support for ‘pucca morcha’, the dharna scheduled to start from Chandigarh on March 5.

Farmer leaders Bhupinder Singh Tirathpura and Lakhbir Singh Nizampur said the protest is a response to the Centre and the Punjab Government’s neglect of farmers’ demands. They said farmers had ended the protest in Delhi after the government’s assurance of minimum support price (MSP) and Purchase Guarantee law as well as justice for farmers who had died in Lakhimpur Kheri.

The protesters are also demanding the withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the farmers’ movement, loan waivers and implementation of crop insurance schemes for farmers, pension for farmers and farm labourers, a law to protect Punjab’s river waters and the rights of the Bhakra Beas Management Board and compensation and government jobs for families of martyred farmers.

Lakhimpura said they demanded from the Punjab Government to fix MSPs for five crops — basmati, maize, pea, potato, and moong. The protest is expected to continue for at least a week to pressure the government to meet these demands, stated the farmer leader.