Farmers’ ‘rail roko’ protest ends

Amritsar, September 30

The three-day ‘rail roko’ protest by farmer unions concluded with the protesters lifting their protest from the railways tracks at Devidaspura village here this evening.

[Leading the protest, Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “Pro-corporate governments are trying to hand over begging bowls to farmers. We broke these bowls to show to the government that we would not become beggars and instead fight to get our rights.” Pandher said a legal guarantee for MSP was a long-pending demand of the agrarian community as prices of most crops was decided by private buyers.

“The government announces the MSP for over two dozen crops, but practically in the state, it is available on only two crops — rice and wheat. If there is a legal guarantee for MSP, we would be able to get MSP on all crops on which it is announced,” said Pandher.

A total of 19 farmer unions from the North had initiated the protest on the railway tracks on September 28 to demand a legal guarantee for MSP, a special package for the flood-affected farmers, cancellation of all FIRs registered against farmers during the agitation against the three farm laws and on various other issues.

On the occasion, the protesters announced their next action plan as per which the farmers would observe Kisan Dasehra on October 23 and 24. The farmer leaders said effigies of the Union Government and corporate houses would be burnt on these days to express their dissatisfaction with the government policies.

Meanwhile, a large number of trains were cancelled or diverted due to the protest on the rail tracks. With the conclusion of the farmers’ agitation, train services had resumed. Railway officials stated that train services would be streamlined on Sunday as the tracks had just been vacated.

Tarn Taran: On the last day of the three-day ‘rail roko’ agitation, activists of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, vacated the rail tracks here on Saturday. They had been staging a dharna since Thursday demanding the fulfilling of their current demands. On the concluding day, women also participated in the dharna in a big number.

Passengers, some of whom had to travel daily by taxis or other modes of transport from as far as 100 km daily for service, heaved a sigh of relief.

Harjinder Singh Shakri, Fateh Singh Piddi and other leaders said the farmers were demanding the fulfilment of the promises made to the farmers at the time of the protest on Delhi borders, a legal guarantee on the MSP on all the crops, etc.

The leaders said the state government too was not sincere about protecting the interests of the farmers as the floods had caused a heavy loss to farmers, but compensation had not been given to most of the farmers so far.