SKM protests over WTO policies

Tarn Taran, February 26

Different farmer organisations associated with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) while expressing resentment against the World Trade Organisation (WTO) policies organised a tractor march on Monday. They burnt an effigy of the WTO.

The Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee associated with the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha organised protests at different places in the district. They called upon the Union Government to keep agriculture aloof from the WTO agenda. The SKM after the march lodged protest in front of the District Administration Complex and presented a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.

Balkar Valtoha, Harjit Singh Ravi, Nachhattar Singh and other leaders of farmer organisations while addressing protesters said the WTO at its meeting to be held in Abu Dhabi would snatch meagre subsidies to be given to third world countries. They said it would go against marginal farmers of Punjab who were already under heavy debt.

The leaders said such policies would force marginal farmers to stop farming. The leaders said the WTO was protecting interests of the corporate sector at the cost of the marginal farmers. They demanded that the Union Government should accept genuine demands of farmers.

Satnam Singh and Gurbachan Singh Chabba of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), Punjab, alleged that the politics in the WTO was against interests of farmers who were already under heavy debt. Effigies of the WTO were also burnt at different places during the protest in district.