Unions protest over farmers’ issues

Bathinda, May 15

Members of the BKU (Ugrahan) and Khet Mazdoor Union staged a statewide protest near ITI Chowk here on Wednesday. The protesters, including farmers, farm labourers and family members of farm suicide victims, also took out a march.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan, state president of the BKU (Ugrahan), said, “All major political parties have let the farming community down for decades. These political parties and their leaders have played the politics of opportunism and always leveraged support to corporate houses. The agricultural sector is in dire straits today. Distressed farmers burdened under debt are forced to committing suicides while the owners of corporate houses and leaders of political parties are busy living lavish lives.”

He said, “We demand that government land must be distributed equally among farmers and interest on farm loan must be abolished. For the growth of the agriculture sector, investment from the government sector is a must. Besides, facilities of irrigation must be increased and adequate arrangements to meet the storage of farm produce must be made. There is a need for an agro-based industry, cheaper power, transportation, water and regular jobs. Privatisation must be stopped.”

Representatives of the unions exhorted their members to mobilse support and put up a united face against the alleged indifferent attitude of the government instead of keeping them busy with election activities. — TNS