Sanyukt Kisan Morcha protests outside minister’s residence

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 17

Several farmer organisations under the banner of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Saturday held a protest in front of the residence of Local Government Minister Balkar Singh.

Leaders of farmer outfits, including Balwinder Singh Malli Nangal of Doaba Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Kashmir Singh Jandiala of the BKU (Rajewal), Rashpal Singh of the Kirti Kisan Union, Sandeep Arora of the All India Kisan Sabha, Jaswant Singh of the BKU (Lakhowal) and Dharminder of the BKU (Dakounda) led the protest.

Farmers put up tents outside the minister’s residence and even displayed signage along with their demands.

Balwinder Singh Malli Nangal said the signage with a list of their demands was displayed on the protest site as neither the minister nor any of his family members turned up to receive a copy of their memorandum.

One of their main demands was getting an adequate compensation for their land being acquired under the Bharatmala Pariyojna. They demanded that the Attari and Hussainiwala borders should be opened for the cross-border trade. They also sought solution to the damage caused to their crops by wild and stray animals. Another demand of the protesters was a crop insurance scheme.