After about three months since the farmers started sit-in at Delhi borders demanding the Centre repeal the three farm reform laws and several rounds of talks with the Centre, they are now escalating the protest.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has decided to hold rail roko on Thursday while the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) has called for a farmer-labourer rally at the Grain Market in Barnala on February 21.
‘Biggest rally ever’
“We are expecting two lakh farmers and agriculture workers will participate in the rally. This is going to be the biggest rally in Punjab since the beginning of the protests against the three farm laws,” said leader of BKU (E-U) Pavel Kussa.
Expanding focus
The organisation said in a statement that the rally, to be jointly organised with Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, will “Along with the demand to repeal the black laws and other demands, rally will specially deal with the impact of these laws on the landless farmers and agricultural labourers. This rally will expose the fascist, oppressive and treacherous moves used by BJP Government to break this struggle,” the leaders of both the organisations said in a statement.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the SKM held here on Tuesday demanded immediate dismissal of Ministers in Haryana Cabinet JP Dalal and Anil Vij for their statements allegedly against farmers.
“Mahapanchayats in Haryana are adopting resolutions to this effect and have also sent their resolution copies to the Chief Minister and Governor of Haryana,” the SKM leaders said.
The farmers from Uttar Pradesh said in the meeting that sugarcane prices have remained stagnant and arrears to sugarcane farmers continues to be around ₹ 12,000 crore in Uttar Pradesh alone.
“The anti-farmer policies of UP government are very apparent and more farmers are expected to join the ongoing protests,” the SKM leaders said.