Farmers’ Agitation Begins in Punjab

ALL India Kisan Mahasabha and its affiliated organization Punjab Kisan Union has started an indefinite dharna in front of the Mansa District HQ with a 7-point charter of demands including farmers’ loan waiver and the loss of crops owing to the problem of stray cattle. On the first day, 500 farmers gathered at the District HQ, after which AIKM National President Ruldu Singh sat on an indefinite dharna at Mansa, along with Punjab Kisan Union leaders comrades Karnail Singh, Kripal Singh Veer, Hakim Singh Jhunir, and Gurucharan Singh Kotdharmu. Farmers are continuing to pour into the dharna venue from many villages.

Com. Ruldu Singh said that the Amarinder Singh government has betrayed its electoral promise by failing to waive the loans of most farmers, and by not paying compensation to families of farmers who had committed suicide. He demanded that the Punjab government should guarantee C2+50% minimum purchase price as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendations.

Kisan Mahasabha National Executive member Gurnam Singh said that the farmers of Punjab are being destroyed by the stray cattle menace. After the implementation of the cow protection law, 3 lakh stray American breed cattle are roaming in Punjab, causing great damage to crops. The only solution is for the government to revoke the cow protection law, allow the farmers to sell cattle, and supply the American breed stray cattle spread across Punjab to meat plants.

Punjab Kisan Union leader Gora Singh said that while giving loans to farmers, banks take and keep farmers’ land documents and their signatures on blank squares. We demand that these blank squares and the land documents be returned to the farmers. PKU leader Balkaran Balli said that Punjab farmers should get electricity for farming and household purposes, petrol, diesel and cooking gas at half price. He demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation for the family of farmer Balwinder Singh Romana martyred in Ferozepur District and jobs for one member each of Balwinder’s family and the family of farmer Bhura Singh Mann martyred in Mansa.

Addressing the meeting, CPI(ML) Central Committee member Rajwinder Singh Rana said that the Amarinder Singh government is implementing the same anti-farmer policies in Punjab. Com. Ruldu Singh announced that this dharna would be continued until the above 7 demands of the farmers are not met. He announced that a massive farmers’ rally would be organized on 11 February 2019 at the Mansa District HQ and said that if the Amarinder government does not wake up to the farmers’ demands, the agitation would be spread across the entire State of Punjab.