Farmers block rail tracks; stage protest at Amritsar DC office

Tribune Reporters

Amritsar, May 18

A day after the police used force on the farmers protesting over the issue of compensation for land acquisition in Gurdaspur district, various farmer unions held protests against the state government. While the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee blocked the railway tracks near Devidaspura village, members of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) started protests outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office and the police headquarters.

Palwinder Singh Mahal, district president of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) said, “In the earlier meetings with the Gurdaspur administration, officials assured that a fair compensation would be paid to the farmers whose lands are being acquired for national highways.” He said using force against the farmers, women and elderly people was condemnable.

Mahal said they would end the protest as soon as the government gave compensation to the farmers. “Usually, the seller always determines the price. But the agriculture sector seems to be an aberration. Here when we go to sell our produce, the price is determined by the buyer. And when the government wants our land, it is determining the price and the sellers (land owners) have no say,” he added.

KSMC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “The way the government had used force to occupy the farmers’ land is unjustified.” The farmers’ body has helped the farmers take back control of their land.”

After a meeting with the administration today, Pandher said the government had agreed to take control of the land only after the compensation was paid to the farmers. The government also agreed to speed up the arbitration process for payment of compensation. Pandher said they would not hesitate to start a protest again if the government failed to fulfil its promise.

Farmers, labourers block rly tracks in Tarn Taran

On the call of the state committee of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, a large number of farmers and mazdoors (labourers) staged a dharna on the railway tracks here on Thursday. They were protesting against the police for using force against farmers in Gurdaspur on Wednesday.

A large number of farmers and labourers, both men and women, staged a dharna on the rail tracks in Tarn Taran. Harjinder Singh Shakri, Jarnail Singh Noordi and others addressed on the occasion and condemned the police action against those who were protesting over inadequate compensation for the land to be acquired for the Union Government-sponsored 'Bhatar Mala' project.

The leaders condemned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his policies and views expressed form time to time. They lifted the dharna only when Jaspal Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tarn Taran, informed them that the Chief Minister's office had convened a meeting with their leadership on May 24.

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