Farmers hold ‘rail roko’ protest in support of farm leader Dallewal

Farmers held a ‘rail roko’ protest by descended on railway tracks in Jalandhar in support of farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been fasting for the past 23 days to press the Centre into accepting the agitating farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops.

The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, held the joint protest under district president Gurmail Singh Rehrwan at Shahkot railway station and under zonal president Satnam Singh Raiwal at Lohian railway station. Farmers from Jalandhar district under the leadership of state leader Salwinder Singh Janian, along with Rajinder Singh Nangal Ambian and Jagdishpal Singh Chak Bahmani, had chalked out the plan to stop trains. The leaders said so much time had passed since the protest on Shambhu border had started, but the government seemed to be in no mood to relent and pay attention to the demands.

Some speakers said that the government had just pretended that it had repealed the ‘black laws’ and amended these. They said the government institutions were being handed over to corporate houses and added that the government had become blind to the farmers’ plight.

Some farm leaders said the struggle going on near Delhi would be further strengthened.

They also sought compensation for the families of those martyred during the Delhi farm movement. Leaders also laid stress on forming women’s committees for the protest.

Meanwhile, district president of BKU (Ekta Sidhpur) Kulwinder Singh Machiana while holding a chakka jam on rail tracks at the Jalandhar Cantt railway station said today that Dallewal was risking his life to save future generations and crops. “Our government is silent and is awaiting the death of Dallewal. This protest is to remind the government of the promises made to farmers and labourers during the Kisan Andolan in 2014, 2018 and 2021,” he said.

Machiana said he welcomed the motion presented in the Parliament yesterday by the main Opposition on the issue of MSP guarantee and Dallewal’s health, but did not deny the fact that all political parties were responsible for the farmers’ pitiable condition today.

Meanwhile, on the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), farmers’ organisations of the district staged a protest by stopping trains at the Hoshiarpur railway station. On this occasion, the farmers raised slogans against the Central and state government. Farmer leader Harpal Singh Sangha said that the Central Government had stabbed the farmers in the back by trying to bring ‘black laws’ in a new form and the farmers would never allow this to happen. He said that every decision of the SKM would be implemented in near future.

Hundreds of farmers also blocked rail traffic on several routes today in Fazilka. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba) district president Manjit Singh Dhesi held ‘rail roko’ at Phillaur railway station from 12 noon to 3pm, while BKU vice-president Kirpal Singh Mussapur led the protest at Dhannowali rail crossing on the Phagwara-Jalandhar rail section. Rail tracks were also blocked at Lohian, Malsia, Nadhala, Dhilwan, Hamira, Sultanpur Lodhi and Behram railway stations.