Punjab: 3-day rail roko, Know what farmers are demanding

Several farmers’ organizations initiated a three-day railway blockade starting on Thursday, in order to emphasize their stance on various urgent demands.

These demands encompass a financial aid package to compensate for losses incurred due to recent floods, a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP), and the forgiveness of agricultural debts.

The decision to implement this railway blockade was announced by Sarwan Singh Pandher, who serves as the General Secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee. This pivotal choice followed a significant gathering of representatives representing 19 different farmers’ groups, as reported by news agencies.

Although the majority of the participating farmer groups hail from Punjab, this movement has gained support from farmers’ organizations in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and other regions.

Pandher informed the media that the farmers are seeking financial relief packages for individuals affected by floods across northern India, a legally binding commitment to the Minimum Support Price for all crop categories, and comprehensive debt forgiveness, among other demands.

The “rail roko” protest will occur at 12 locations in Punjab, including Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Amritsar.

Several farmer organizations supporting this movement include the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari), Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Azaad), Azaad Kisan Committee Doaba, Bharti Kisan Union (Behramke), Bharti Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), Bharti Kisan Union (Chottu Ram), Kisan Mahapanchayat (Haryana), Pagri Sambhal Jatta (Haryana), Progressive Farmer Front (Uttar Pradesh), Bhoomi Bachao Muhim (Uttarakhand), and the Rashtriya Kisan Sangathan (Himachal Pradesh).

Earlier this month, around 100 farmers in Maharashtra’s Sangli district conducted a ‘rail roko’ protest opposing the railways’ land acquisition. This led to a more than four-hour halt of the Kolhapur-Gondia Maharashtra Express in the Bhilwadi-Nandre area of Palus tehsil. The Maharashtra farmers are demanding that the railways acquire their additional land, and discussions with the district administration are ongoing regarding joint measurements for this purpose.