Unblocking NH-44: Punjab farm unions to boycott panel meet today

Mukesh Tandon

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Tribune News Service

Sonepat, September 18

A day ahead of the talks with the high-powered government committee at Murthal, leaders of 32 farmers’ unions of Punjab on Saturday decided to boycott the meeting.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the unions held at Singhu. Bhog Singh Mansa, a farmer leader, said the Sonepat administration had sent an invite for the meeting, but they had decided not to attend it.

Earlier while taking up a writ petition, the SC had ordered the farmers protesting on the Kundli-Singhu border on the NH-44 to give one-way passage to the commuters. Following this, the Haryana Government formed a high-powered committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajeev Arora. Sonepat DC Lalit Siwach had fixed a meeting for talks with farmers over the matter and invited 43 SKM members.

Say SC directions only for govt, not them

• Acting on a petition, the SC had ordered farmers to give one-way passage on NH-44 to commuters
• The Haryana Govt then formed a committee headed by Addl CS Rajeev Arora
• Sonepat DC Lalit Siwach had invited 43 SKM members for talks on Sunday
• But 32 farmers’ unions from Punjab decided not to attend it

Mansa said the SC had not given any directions to them and no farmer was party to the matter. “The SC has only directed the Centre and states to give passage to the common man,” he said.

The leaders said they wanted to go to Delhi, but the Centre and state government stopped them at the borders. “The roads have not been blocked by us, but by the Delhi Police by placing concrete barriers,” Mansa claimed. The unions, meanwhile, decided to intensify their protest ahead of the Bharat Bandh on September 27.