Labourers’ strike at Sirsa grain market enters second day, farmers bear the brunt

The strike by labourers at the Sirsa grain market continued for the second consecutive day on Thursday, as workers demanded higher rates and accused cotton mill owners of refusing to weigh produce. Protesting under a tent outside the Market Committee office, the workers vowed not to resume duties until their demands were met.

Labourers also blocked the main gate of the New Grain Market, monitoring entries to ensure no outside workers were brought in to break the strike. The ongoing protest has severely disrupted market operations, affecting both the cleaning and purchase of agricultural produce.

With market activities stalled, some private millers bypassed the system by directly contacting the farmers and unloading produce at their factories. This not only inconvenienced the farmers but also caused revenue losses to the Market Committee due to unregistered transactions.

The Aarthiya Association held an emergency meeting at Janata Bhawan to discuss the ongoing crisis. The meeting focused on the demands of both mill owners and labourers. Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh, state president of the Bharatiya Kisan Ekta (BKE), also intervened and met the striking workers. He expressed concern over the mounting problems faced by the farmers, stating that the cleaning of paddy had come to a halt. “Farmers have already suffered due to heavy rains and floods. Now the strike is adding to their troubles,” he said.

Aulakh urged the workers to consider a temporary suspension of the strike until the current stock of crops in the market was cleared. “Issue a warning and resume the protest later if needed, but don’t make the farmers suffer further,” he appealed.

Responding to the suggestion, Somveer, president of the Anaj Mandi Mazdoor Welfare Union, said that the strike notice had already been given to the Market Committee secretary last Saturday. He alleged that despite this, commission agents failed to inform the farmers in advance. He also accused some millers of illegally purchasing cotton and kapas outside the mandi, violating market regulations.