On November 20, eighteen farmer unions from North India, along with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (apolitical), will stage a protest outside the offices of deputy commissioners and sub-divisional magistrates in Punjab. The protest is in response to the state government’s punitive actions against farmers for stubble burning, including filing FIRs, imposing environmental compensation on paddy growers, making red entries in land records hindering loan processes, and canceling arms licenses and passports while publicly naming and shaming the farmers.
The announcement was made on Monday at Kisan Bhawan, Chandigarh, where the union leaders voiced their concerns. Jagjit Singh Dallewal, president of BKU Sidhupur, is leading the apolitical Samyukta Kisan Morcha.
The protest is not solely in response to a specific incident on November 3 but addresses the broader issue of punitive actions against farmers for stubble burning, which the government has failed to address adequately. The farmers argue that FIRs, environmental penalties, red entries in revenue records, and canceling of licenses and passports are unjustified without a comprehensive plan to replace paddy with alternative crops or sufficient residue management machines to handle straw.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, convenor of the 18 farmer unions, highlighted the need for a fair approach, questioning why similar punitive measures are not taken against industries responsible for pollution. He emphasized that the protest on November 20 supports all farmers facing such actions from the government.
Additionally, farmers across the state are protesting the Punjab government’s decision to close 510 grain mandis from Monday evening for paddy procurement. They demand that all mandis remain open as long as paddy continues to arrive in the markets. If the decision is not rolled back, the farmers plan to launch a protest against the state government.
Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of BKU Ugrahan, criticized the arbitrary decision to close mandis while paddy procurement is ongoing, and they vow to protest unless the decision is reversed.
Manjit Singh Dhaner, president of BKU Dakaunda, echoed the sentiment, stating that mandis should remain open until all arrivals are processed. The farmer unions and the apolitical Samyukta Kisan Morcha will jointly protest these issues on November 20.
