Farmers to hold rallies over MSP legal guarantee at Haryana border

Amritsar, August 20

Farmers, including women, left for Haryana border from Beas railway station here to participate in the ongoing protest against the Central Government over the issue of legal guarantee for MSP.

The farmers had gathered at the railway station under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC). The union is working to increase the participation of farmers in the protest being held by Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Sanyukat Kisan Morcha (Non-political).

The KMM and SKM (Non-political) also have plans to organise big rallies at Shambu, Khanauri and Ratanpura on August 31 to mark 200 days of the ongoing protest. KMSC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “Farmers from across the state would leave for Haryana borders on August 30 to participate in the rallies on August 31.”

The union has already started to hold meetings in different villages to mobilise support for the rallies. Farmer leaders stated that people are fed up with the attitude of the government and are in a mood to hold a long protest.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, had been writing letters to the then PM Manmohan Singh demanding implementation of Dr Swaminathan Commission report. Now he is the PM for the last 11 years and doing everything not to implement the report.”

Pandher said that under the Modi-led government’s rule at the Centre, shots were fired at farmers and they were killed as they were demanding MSP. “The farmers have been mowed down under the vehicles, subjected to illegal arrests and harassment just because they are asking for MSP,” he said, adding that farmers would continue their protest till their demands are met.

The protesters are also demanding debt waiver for farmers and workers, guarantee of a minimum of 200 days of work under MGNREGA, increase in per day wages under MGNREGA, pension for elderly farmers, and implementation of crop insurance scheme.