Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee goes on indefinite dharna at Jalandhar Cantt railway station

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 23

Under Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) district president Salwinder Singh Jania and Kapurthala president Sarwan Singh Baupur, farmers on Thursday began an indefinite protest at the Jalandhar Cantt railway station.

Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra and Gurlal Singh, state secretary and state treasurer of the committee, respectively, were also present at the station. While a meeting of the KMSC with the Deputy CM had taken place in Chandigarh on September 29 (the day when dharnas were held at all state headquarters by farmers), he had assured farmers of fulfilling all their demands in 20 days. But farmers said these would remain just empty assurances until the demands were fulfilled.

The KSMC had been holding chakka jam across the state since December 20. Increasing the places of protests, a stir began at the local railway station.

Farmer leaders asked the government that financial aid of Rs 5 lakh be given to families of farmers who lost their lives during the farmers’ agitation at Delhi borders. They also demanded jobs for one member of their family and debt waiver.

Their other demands included strict punishment for those who were involved in the killing of farmers holding a protest in Lakhimpur Kheri of UP, removal of the scarcity of urea and other fertilisers, formulation of law ensuring the guaranteed MSP for 23 crops, reduce prices of oil products, withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020, and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report.

Besides, women and children also participated in the dharna during which farmers raised slogans and squatted on the railway tracks at the station. Leaders warned if their demands were not fulfilled soon, they would announce intensify their stir. Satnam Singh Raiwal, Lohian zone president, Nirmal Singh Dhandowal from the Dhandowal zone, Jarnail Singh, Major Singh Padda, Sukhpreet Singh, among others, were present during the protest.

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