Farmers, traders oppose free trade deal, want loans waived, old labour laws back

Opposing the policies of the Central Government, farmers, labourers, workers and employees on Monday held protests across the district.

A large number of protesters, courting arrest, gathered outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

They later submitted a memorandum to District Revenue Officer (DRO) Navkirat Singh. Protests were also witnessed at Attari, Ajnala, Chogawan and Jandiala.

The protesters raised slogans against the Centre, demanding immediate steps to address the issues concerning farmers, workers and employees.

They opposed the proposed India-US trade agreement, alleging that the entry of American agricultural and industrial products into the Indian market would adversely affect farmers and domestic businesses.

The protestors demanded that the decisions to implement the Electricity Bill, 2026, and Seeds Bill, 2026, be withdrawn and that the earlier form of the MGNREGA be restored.

They also demanded that anganwadi, ASHA and mid-day meal workers be regularised and streetlight workers and sanitation workers be given the status of government employees.

The protesters also demanded an end to contractual employment and privatisation, and sought a minimum monthly wage of Rs 26,000.

Other demands included loan waiver for farmers and workers, restoration of oldlabour laws and control over rising inflation. They also demanded that four labour codes be repealed.

At Attari, the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha Punjab, the Border Area Sangharsh Committee and the Bharatiya Kisan Sabha jointly organised a protest in which farmers and workers from more than 30 villages participated.

The protesters paid tributes to the martyrs of the 1942 Quit India Movement and called for intensifying the farmers’ struggle under the SKM’s programme.

Addressing a gathering, farmer leaders Baba Arjun Singh, Mukhtar Muhawa, Rattan Singh Randhawa and Balwinder Jhabal alleged that the Centre had gone back on assurances made during the Delhi farmers’ protest.

They said instead of fulfilling demands such as farm loan waivers and legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), the government was moving towards trade agreements that, they alleged, could harm Indian agriculture and small industries.

At the district-level protest, farmer and trade union leaders, including Sucha Singh Ajnala, Amarjit Singh Ansal, Jagtar Singh Karmpura alleged that public sector institutions were being privatised to benefit corporate houses and warned that farmers, workers and other sections of society would continue their struggle against such policies.