Punjab farmers squat on rail tracks as part of SKM’s protest against Centre

Chandigarh: Punjab farmers squatted on rail tracks at several places as part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s nationwide stir against the Centre “reneging on its promises” made when the protest against now-repealed farm laws was withdrawn last year.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said trains will be stopped from 11 am till 3 pm in Punjab.

The four-hour protest is likely to disrupt train movement in the state, causing inconvenience to passengers. The protesters squatted on rail tracks at several places, including Jalandhar, Phillaur, Ferozepur and Bathinda.

The demands of the farmers include a legal guarantee for the minimum support price and justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, Lakhowal said.

Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri in a violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to the area on October 3 last year.

Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra is an accused in the case. Farmers are demanding the sacking of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra.

They are also demanding the withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the anti-farm laws protest last year, compensation to the families of farmers who lost their lives during the stir and rollback of the Agnipath recruitment scheme for the defence forces.

About the panel on minimum support price formed by the Centre recently, Lakhowal said the government included in the committee officers and farmers who were in favour of the now-repealed farm laws.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Kadian) president Harmeet Singh Kadian, participating in the protest at Phillaur railway station, said the farmers were holding the protest on the call given by the SKM.

Farmers said they were forced to squat on rail tracks as the Centre was not listening to their demands”.