BackPunjab: Train services hit in Firozpur division as farmer begin 3-day protest over MSP, flood compensation
Farmers in Punjab led by Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee have began their three day 'Rail Roko Andolan' across the state demanding a committee for MSP, debt waiver, compensation for flood-affected and withdrawal of cases regarding agitation in Delhi.
PremiumNorthern Railway Thursday said as many as services of 18 trains in Firozpur division have been affected as members of various farmers' bodies squatted on train tracks as part of their three-day 'Rail-Roko' agitation which started Thursday morning, reported ANI.
"Of those, 12 trains, which set off from and arrive here have been cancelled and the remaining, long route trains, have been diverted, a railway official of the Firozpur division said.
The protesting farmers led by Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee said the agitation against the Union government will continue till September 30.
The ‘rail roko’ will take place at 12 places in Punjab including Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Amritsar, the PTI reported.
Several farmer bodies, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari), BKU (Ekta Azaad), Azaad Kisan Committee Doaba, BKU (Behramke), BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), and BKU (Chottu Ram), were participating in their protest, the farmers said.
What are farmers demanding?
The farmers are demanding financial relief packages for flood-affected individuals across north India and a legally binding assurance for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) across all crop categories, as well as comprehensive debt waivers, and withdrawal of cases regarding agitation in Delhi among other things, PTI reported.
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Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee said farmers across the country are united on the issues and warned that more farmers from Haryana will join the protest if anyone tried to 'misbehave with the farmers of Punjab. Farmers are united throughout the country," the ANI reported.
The farmers are demanding ₹50,000-crore flood relief package for north Indian states and MSP as per the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report, PTI reported farmer leader Gurbachan Singh as saying in Amritsar.
The entire debt of farmers and labourers should be waived, he said and also demanded ₹10 lakh compensation and a government job for the family of each farmer who died during the agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws.
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