Farmers march towards Moga; Punjab Govt schedules talks on February 20
Protest organised on the call of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha along with various farmer unions
Hundreds of farmers and farm labourers, under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, marched towards Killi Chahlan in Moga from the district here on Monday morning. Following the protest by the farmers, the Punjab government have called a meeting with farmer leaders on February 20 at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh, stated Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee leaders.
The protest was organised on the call of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha along with various farmer unions, including Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee Punjab, BKU Behramke, BKU Ekta Azad and BKU Krantikari. As announced earlier, large groups of farmers gathered at a gurdwara in village Kishanpura and started marching towards Killi Chahlan, where the ruling Aam Aadmi Party had organised a rally, said Sarwan Singh Pandher.
The farmers said they wanted to question Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann about their pending demands.
Pandher said that farmers were stopped at four different places and when the farmers tried to move ahead after breaking another barricade, senior police officials and civil administration officers held talks with their leaders.
After nearly an hour of discussion, officials assured them that a meeting with Punjab government authorities would be arranged. At around 3 pm, a formal letter confirming a meeting on February 20 at 11 am in Chandigarh was handed over to the farmer leaders on stage. Following this, the protesters postponed their march towards the rally venue.
Farmer leaders criticised the state government for holding the rally at public expense and alleged that crores of rupees were spent from the state treasury. They also condemned the police for allegedly stopping a journalist from covering the protest. The farmers announced that they would support a protest by journalists on February 27 in Amritsar.
The leaders warned the government to resolve their demands, including compensation for losses at Shambhu and Khanauri borders, withdrawal of cases against farmers, flood compensation and clarity on trade agreements and new agricultural laws.
