Common man bears the brunt of rail, road blockades

OPEN HOUSE: wHAT ALTERNATIVE WAYS SHOULD BE ADOPTED BY PROTESTERS TO AIR THEIR DISSENT?

Worst sufferer is the common man

Blocking highways and rail tracks is the new strategy of protesters without giving a thought to the inconvenience to travellers and masses. Due to blockades, the worst sufferers are the common man, daily bread earners and all those who are travelling from one place to another. Recently, the farmers blocked the national highway and rail traffic near Rama Mandi, Jalandhar, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty, especially for the rail passengers due to cancellation of number of trains to get their demands of hike in sugarcane price fulfilled. The Northern Railway should have diverted the trains on Udhampur –Jammu – Chakki Bank -Amritsar-Jalandhar –Nakodar, Lohian –Phillaur – Ferozepur Route and rescheduled the timings of long distance trains up to Ambala Cantt. The cancellation of trains has really put the masses in a dilemma, specially the stranded persons at Udhampur, Jammu, Pathankot Cantt, and Mukerian. The suspension of trains from Amritsar, Jammu, and Udhampur has caused a heavy loss to the railways and inconvenience to the travellers who were to travel in these trains which were cancelled. Till a few years ago, the ways of agitation were really different from what farmers have resorted to now. The protest was usually in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s or the police chief’s office. There was no such thing as blocking the roads as decided by the administration. Agitations and protests have always been a part and parcel of the Democracy. Inconveniencing the commuters is not a right concept in a democratic set up.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Find other ways of voicing dissent

Since the time immemorial, the hardworking and dedicated farming community has been playing in the hands of the manipulative and corrupt political fraternity. No governments have been able to solve their age-old issues and cater to their needs. Every time during elections, farmers are being promised moon. But all false and lofty commitments fall flat with the passage of time. This has caused the helpless farmers to raise their voice and resort to protests and strikes which cripple the economy of a nation. The ongoing demonstrations in Jalandhar and on the outskirts of Delhi bear testimony to this fact. The moot point here is that the corruption-ridden executives and bureaucrats have hardly addressed their concerns. Perhaps, they are working on the directions of crony corporate barons who provided them with loads of money during electioneering to secure sweeping victories. In the end, farmers are left with no option but to raise slogans against the regime. But, I strongly believe that the sons and daughters of the soil should not get carried away and instead of resorting to ferocious and vigorous protests causing inconvenience to their own brethren, should choose some innovative ways to air their dissenting voice. Instead of resorting to violent ways, they should aim at following silent ways of protest such as carrying out cleanliness drives, organising awareness camps, highlighting false policies run by the governments, silent sit-ins, planting saplings and taking due care of them. I think these are some of the creative alternatives which our farmers must adopt to strengthen the social fabric and compel the tyrannical rulers to address their concerns on a priority basis.

Simranjeet Singh Saini

Governments need to act promptly

Due to the ongoing farmers’ protests on railway tracks in Jalandhar, several trains have either been cancelled, diverted, re-scheduled or short-terminated, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at various places in the state and in Jammu. Farmers refused to lift the blockade till their demands of an increase in sugarcane prices were met. In case their talks with the government fail to yield the desired results, they have even threatened to give a call for the Punjab Bandh.Thankfully, succumbing to the pressure exerted by the farmers’ unions, the Punjab Government has conceded both of their current demands. It should fulfill its commitment within the given time frame to satisfy the agitating farmers. The agriculture sector in Punjab has been in dire straits since long and needs a proper roadmap for its improvement. Because of the rising input costs, vagaries of weather and rigged market system, farming is no more a viable occupation. As a result, a majority of small and marginalised farmers live a life of penury, are debt-ridden and commit suicides. To safeguard their rights, they have been holding regular peaceful protests from time to time across the state but the successive central and state dispensations have always turned a deaf ear to their concerns. Rather than pleasing big corporate houses and promoting the interests of the alleged mill mafia, it is time to appease the lot of distressed farmers. It will be an act of grace if the current stalemate between the Centre and the protesting farmers on the three farm laws also comes to an end at the earliest.

Tajpreet S Kang

Causing disruption will hurt their image

The resistance and blockade led by the farmers against the farm laws continue to upset and disturb the social fabric. The farmers undisputedly contribute to the well-being, welfare and prosperity of people at large but definitely cannot strangulate the flow of public activities by being so defiant and confrontational in promotion of their benign cause. Uprising need not necessarily follow an act to subvert and usurp the orderly conditions of public discourse which can have wide ramifications and can seriously jeoparadise the system as a whole. Dissent is a hallmark of judgment and reasoning and must inherently commensurate with the suggestive idea of acting with peace, harmony and tranquility without any serious disruption, interruption or disturbance to the channels of civic actions be it on any front. Cancellation of about hundred trains besides a large number of people grounded in Jammu in the name of farmer’s unrest will cause irreparable damage to the image of farmers as unscrupulous elements may try to take advantage of the situation mischievously by impersonating themselves to be one amongst the aggrieved. The government however must take a prompt notice of the situation and address the concerns of the peasants at the earliest.

Sameer Bhatia

Callousness of govt to blame for mess

At a time when farmers are venting their ire against three controversial agricultural laws at the Delhi borders, several farmer groups and unions have been forced to launch yet another indefinite agitation in Punjab. They are demanding an enhanced state assured price (SAP) for sugarcane and clearance of their long-pending dues. They have blocked the national highways and railway tracks at some vantage places in Jalandhar, disrupting train and bus services in the state. But they have opened service lanes for school children and emergency vehicles and for those travelling on the Raksha Bandhan. The ongoing demonstrations have inconvenienced daily commuters, traders, transporters, pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and troops going to and coming from Amritsar, Pathankot and Jammu. The cancellation, diversion or short-termination of passenger and goods trains has caused huge loss to the Indian Railways. In the past too, farmers have been holding peaceful protests from time to time to press successive state governments to accept their genuine demands. But these have produced no positive results, courtesy — apathetic and callous attitude of our elected representatives and bureaucrats. Farmers have now taken this extreme step after exhausting all other alternatives of protest. In the beginning, the fresh rounds of talks between farmers, government officials and agriculture experts first ended in a stalemate. In the given situation, the farmers had warned of a Punjab bandh if nothing fructuous came out of those negotiations. It is gratifying that in view the ongoing scenario and the upcoming Assembly elections early next year, the state government has immediately found an amicable solution in the favour of the farming community.

DS Kang

Farmers not doing this out of choice

Farmers launched an indefinite agitation in Jalandhar and blocked the train and bus movement on the Ludhiana-Amritsar and Ludhiana-Jammu rail routes to pressurise the Punjab Government to accept their demands of increasing sugarcane prices and clear pending dues. Several stranded in Jammu due to cancellation of trains and non-availability of alternate transport due to the ongoing agitation in Punjab. Some went there for a religious trip and for personal visit but got stuck there. Farmers are doing this not out of choice but there is no one to listen to them. They were only exercising their fundamental right by protesting peacefully. No damage was done as it was totally non-violent. Though Raksha Bandhan festival and the farmers’ protest did coincide, and people had to face inconvenience, they did not have any choice. But all is well that ends well. Now, their demands have been met, dharna has been lifted and all services have also been restored.

Shashi Kiran

Deal with farmers’ issue empathetically

Our Constitution gives the right of peaceful protest to its nationals to air their grievances in legitimate ways against any kind of exploitation, undue repression or harassment. Although an appropriate mechanism has been inscribed to deal with the contentious issues and grievances in a democratic way, yet many a times, the problems are either not taken seriously or allowed to precipitate by the rigid attitude, apathy of officials or vested political interests, which leads to unwanted confrontations. The ongoing farmers’ struggle at Delhi borders for more than nine months against the contentious farm laws is one such conspicuous example of this dogma. Another instance is that of the recent dharna by sugarcane farmers in Jalandhar to seek the release of pending payment of their produce from sugar mills and rise in state government announced the state assured price. National Highway-1 and rail tracks were blocked by the protestors and consequently, around 100 trains were cancelled, due to which commuters and traders had to bear the brunt. Passengers were stranded at different stations, causing a lot of inconvenience to inter-state traffic, besides huge revenue loss and instability to the region. Movement on roads and public places is often hampered by the protestors at many places and the general public is made to suffer endlessly. Sadly, all this falls on dumb ears. Due to the severe blow of Covid-19, the economy of the country is out of gear. Our trade and industry too is badly affected by the pandemic. While some agitators have fair amount of logic, others are just thriving their point looking at the vulnerability of elected representatives to the forthcoming elections. It is therefore vital that prompt action be taken on issues of common interest expressing sincerity and spontaneity to ensure public order and social security. Owing to rampant protests and blockades, not only the peaceful atmosphere is vitiated but the nation also suffers huge revenue losses. The government machinery must remain proactive to address the issues with a great deal of empathy and fairness. Any kind of confrontation disturbs peace and harmonious relationships which obviously is suicidal for the inclusive growth of the country.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Government to blame for sordid state of affairs 

• It’s true that a large number of people remained stranded and suffered because of the cancellation of over hundred trains as also road blocked by agitating farmers. But the question is why did they have to resort to this? It is clearly the government which is to be blamed for this sorry and sordid state of affairs. Farmers had already exhorted the government to raise the sugarcane prices but the government didn't budge
• So, they had no alternative but to block the roads and tracks to awaken the government from slumber. It could have been done much earlier and in a better way. When Haryana and UP are giving higher prices for sugarcane, why can't Punjab? Not only this, the farmers are sitting on Singhu and Tikri Borders for the past 10 months, seeking repeal of agricultural laws, but the government refused to budge
• The union government and the Prime Minister of the country want to sell the farmers’ lands to corporate honchos like Ambani, Adani and others. These farm laws were passed in Parliament in a hurry. The farmers are braving the vagaries of the weather during all these months and the the Union Government is a mute spectator.
• JS Wadhw

QUESTION

An expert panel has predicted that the third Covid-19 wave will hit the country anytime between September and October coinciding with the festival season in India, which witnesses a huge rush at public places. What steps the district administration must take in advance to make people aware of this impending threat?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to [email protected] by Thursday (September 2)

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