Farmer bodies hold protest against Centre

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 7

On the call from the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), 10 farmer organisations from the state held protest marches to pay obeisance to six martyrs of a peasant movement by holding meetings and rallies at the tehsil and the district headquarters on Saturday.

The farmers have also been condemning the anti-peasant ordinance issued by the Union Government.

Kulwant Singh Sandhu, general secretary, Zamhoori Kisan Sabha, Punjab, on behalf of the Punjab chapter of the AIKSCC, consisting of 10 organisations, have been holding protests against the Centre.

The leaders alleged that the Narendra Modi-led Central Government was formulating the ‘Power Amendment Bill-2020’ and amending the Agriculture Produce Marketing System.

“These policies are getting the agriculture sector into the hands of corporates. Dismantling of minimum price arrangement for agriculture produces will ruin marginal, small, and middle peasants of the country, which constitute almost 90 per cent of total landholdings. These policies would adversely affect those regions, especially Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and other pockets of the country,” he said, adding that it would divest states government of powers on agriculture.

The protesting farmers rued that the Centre was trying to usurp states’ powers given by the Constitution.