Farmers to approach non-BJP MPs to raise their issues in Parliament

Aman Sood

Patiala, June 15

Farmers protesting at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders for more than 120 days said today that they would “approach all non-BJP MPs to introduce a private member’s Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament”.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), said they would protest until their demands were fulfilled.

The farm unions announced that they would meet all “non-BJP MPs” on July 2 and urge them to introduce the private member’s Bill to highlight the issues being faced by farmers throughout the country.

“We have decided to exclude 240 MPs of the BJP. We will meet all MPs of the INDIA bloc and the BJP’s alliance partners to press them to introduce a private member’s Bill to raise the farmers’ issues in Parliament,” said Pandher, who sought legal guarantee for MSP on all crops. “The Opposition should show solidarity with us and take up the issues of farmers,” he added.

“We are prepared to continue our dharna during monsoon. We request Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to sit with the farmers and solve the matter. The Central Government’s stance is still not clear as it has failed to break the deadlock,” said Pandher.

Thousands of farmers are camping at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders with their tractor-trailers after their “Dilli Chalo” march was stopped by the security forces on February 13.

“Our farm unions will oppose the BJP in Haryana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra until our demands are met,” he added. On June 20, hundreds of farmers would reach the protest sites, said the agitating farmers.

Besides a legal guarantee for MSP and farm debt waiver, farmers are also demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, 200 days of guaranteed annual work for farm labourers at Rs 700 per day, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, compensation to the families of the farmers who died during the year long stir in 2021, among others.