Agnipath: Punjab farm unions to hold statewide protest tomorrow

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 22

As many as 22 farmer unions of Punjab, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), have announced to hold protests across Punjab on June 24 in support of the protesting students against the Centre’s newly launched Agnipath recruitment scheme.

Addressing the media, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda) president Buta Singh Burjgill said a meeting of 22 farmer unions was held on Wednesday at Desh Bhagat Yadgar hall in Jalandhar. He said they had decided to raise the issue of water crisis in Punjab and lend support to the youth protesting the Agnipath scheme.

Will submit memorandum

The unions will hold peaceful protests on June 24 and would submit a memorandum to Deputy Commissioners, SDMs or Tehildars, seeking immediate withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme. —Buta Singh Burjgill, Farmer leader

He said the unions would hold peaceful protests on June 24 outside the district administration complexes across Punjab and would submit a memorandum for President to Deputy Commissioners, SDMs or Tehildars, seeking immediate withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme.

He said on June 25, a state-level convention would be held in Jalandhar, in which the unions would release an in-depth report on the water crisis in Punjab. “The report will also have suggestions on how the government and farmers could jointly save groundwater and control pollution in the state,” he added. Harminder Singh Patiala, a farmer union leader, said, “Hiring soldiers on a four-year

contract and then after training, asking them to serve private companies is a joke.”

The unions sought a public apology from the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs, who in a press conference recently said that every individual would give a certificate stating he was not part of the protest or vandalism. “The officers should stay away from passing such statements,” they added.

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