Chandigarh / New Delhi, September 24
Farmers squatted on the tracks in Punjab on Thursday, starting a three-day “rail roko” agitation against the farm Bills as the Railways suspended several trains to avoid any adverse incidents.
Twenty trains were partially canceled and five briefly ended until September 26 when protesters blocked train tracks in various locations, including Amritsar, Ferozepur, Sangrur, Barnala, Mansa, and Nabha.
Among the trains that will remain suspended are the Golden Temple Mail (Amritsar-Mumbai Central), Jan Shatabdi Express (Haridwar-Amritsar), New Delhi-Jammu Tawi, Karambhoomi (Amritsar-New Jalpaiguri), Sachkhand Express (Nanded-Amritsar) and Shaheed Express (Amritsar-Jaynagar), authorities said.
They said the decision was made with the safety of passengers and the protection of rail property from harm in mind.
Read also: Agricultural agencies to block roads and rail traffic at 125 locations in Punjab on Friday
Currently, routine passenger train service remains suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The call for “rail roko” agitation was made by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and later supported by different farmer groups.
Activists from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) occupied the train tracks in Barnala and Sangrur on Thursday morning.
Farmers under the committee’s banner sat on the train tracks near the village of Devidaspura in Amritsar and Basti Tanka Wali in Ferozepur.
They raised slogans against the union government led by the BJP and threatened to intensify their protest if the agricultural bills were not withdrawn.
“These bills were passed without consulting farmers and are only in the interest of big business,” said Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee in Amritsar.
“If these bills are of interest to farmers, why are the BJP leaders trying to clarify? It means they are not good for farmers, ”said Pandher.
He said they will continue their fight against the Bills until they are recalled. “It is going to be a long fight,” he added.
Pandher asked the Shiromani Akali Dal to clarify his position on the bills. “If they find these bills anti-farmers, then why are they still in league with the BJP?” He asked.
Protesters dug up tents in the middle of the train tracks. They also arranged the ration for three days, the farmers said.
Women, young and old also participated in the protest, they said.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) General Secretary Sukhdev Singh said the bills were written only to “benefit” large corporations and demanded that they be “withdrawn”.
Peasant leaders said they were receiving support from various sections, including government employees and workers.
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee Chairman Satnam Singh Pannu said they have appealed to representatives of political parties, ministers, parliamentarians and the MLA not to participate in the farmers’ agitation.
They promised to divert BJP leaders and socially boycott those who voted in favor of the farm bills.
Up to 31 teams of farmers have called for the complete closure of Punjab on September 25.
Punjab farmers have expressed fear that the bills will pave the way to dismantle the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of large corporations.
Parliament passed the Essential Commodities Bill (Amendment); Draft Law on Trade in Agricultural Products and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation); and the Price Guarantee Agreement and the Farmers’ Agricultural Services (Empowerment and Protection) Act.
They await the assent of the president to become law.
Meanwhile, railway officials said the Nanded-Amritsar train will end its journey in Old Delhi. Train number 02716 will depart Old Delhi instead of Amritsar on September 25 and 26.
The Dhanbad-Ferozepur Cantt train will not go to Ferozepur Cantt and will end its journey at Ambala Cantonment. Train number 03308 will leave Ambala Cantt from September 24 to 26 instead of Ferozepur Cantt.
The Mumbai Central-Amritsar train arriving on September 24 will be taken to Ludhiana and will end its journey in Ambala from September 25 to 26.
Train number 02904 will leave Ambala on September 24-26 instead of Amritsar.
Many freight and parcel trains have also been rescheduled.
A spokesman for Railways in New Delhi said the upheaval will severely affect the load of food grains and other essential goods.
Authorities said the Food Corporation of India is loading more than 35 rakes of Punjab food grain daily.
They said Punjab also loads 9-10 rakes of fertilizer, cement, cars and mixed products in containers daily. – PTI
