Farmers seek support of arhtiyas, sheller owners

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 11

Continuing with their statewide Jail Bharo Andolan, activists of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee on Friday staged a massive agitation in front of the Central Jail Amritsar at Fatehpur here. A 51-member jatha from Chogawan area, led by Kulwant Singh and Sahib Singh Kakkar, came forward to be arrested.

Interestingly, 4-year-old Avneet Kaur, Veerpal Kaur and 6-year-old Avnoordeep Kaur were also part of the group, who offered to be jailed or repeal the anti-farmer ordinances, policies of the Modi government and save the farming community. The activists raised slogans against the government asking for repealing the agriculture ordinances.

Addressing a large gathering, state general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, state office secretary Gurbachan Singh Chabba, farmer leaders Lakhwinder Singh Varyamnangal, Ranjit Singh Klerbala and Jarmanjit Singh Bandala said if the government did not arrest them today, they would block the bridge on the Beas on September 14. “The Centre and the Punjab Government will be responsible for the ensuing confrontation,” said Pandher.

The farmer leaders claimed that they were getting good support from women and youngsters for the struggle. The unionists called arhtiyas (commission agents), sheller owners, market committee employees and citizens to join the agitation as the implementation of these ordinances would also affect them. They said the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act and the three other agriculture ordinances could not be compared.

Workers stage a dharna in front of Patti sub jail

Tarn Taran: On the fifth day of the ‘Jail Bharo’ agitation launched by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, the 51-member jatha of the organisation, along with hundreds of other workers, moved to the sub jail, Patti, and staged a dharna in front of the jail.

The KMSC has launched its agitation at state-level against the ‘wrong’ policies of the Union Government.

Sukhwider Singh Sabhra, Harpreet Singh Sidhawan and Satnam Singh Manochahal Kalan were among others who addressed farmers at Patti and called the Union Government to withdraw all the policies framed against the interests of the farmers, labour classes and other sections of the society. However, the administration denied arresting the agitating workers. The leaders said the organisations would take part in the proposed national-level call for September 14 by 250 organisations against the Union Government’s policies. The leaders condemned the administration for not arresting them on genuine demands.

A large number of workers of the organisation also attended the ‘Pakka Morcha’ installed outside the local District Administrative Complex (DAC) too. — OC