Tribune news service
Chandigarh, November 4
The 30 farmer unions protesting in Punjab refused to succumb to any pressure and decided to continue their agitation against the three agricultural laws passed by the Center in September.
Everyone is ready to make a show of force on Thursday when a “chakka jam” is being organized across the country. The farmers, who have received support from 200 other unions associated with the All India Kisan Sangharsh Committee, will block all national roads between 12 noon and 4 pm. In Punjab, they will block all state and national highways.
A meeting of the 30 farmers’ unions in the state was held today, except for the BKU Ekta Ugrahan and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, in which it was decided to allow the passage of freight trains until November 20. They had previously allowed the passage of freight trains. in the state until 4 November, but the Union Ministry of Railways has decided to keep rail service to Punjab suspended.
Apart from this, it was decided to continue the business gherao owned by corporate houses: toll plazas, gas stations and retail businesses, and outside the houses of BJP leaders in Punjab, said Jagmohan Singh, BKU Dakaunda general secretary.
Meanwhile, a delegation from the Punjab government, which included Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and CM’s political adviser Capt Sandeep Sandhu, also met separately today with representatives of these 30 unions and those of BKU Ekta Ugrahan. Yesterday, they had met with representatives of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, trying to explain the effects of the lengthy protest and the subsequent suspension of train service to Punjab by the Center, on the state’s economy.
You learn to have explained to the unions how the shortage of urea, DAP and potash was being created for planting wheat and how the shortage of jute bags to store paddy and custom-processed rice, in addition to the shortage of coal for power plants, would hit the state hard. The unions are known to have refused to budge.
It’s been 35 days since farmers launched the statewide protests after Parliament passed the controversial Farm Laws. Farmers have now said they will sit along the tracks and at railway stations, so that rail operations can resume, though they will not allow passenger trains to operate until their demands are met.
It is known that 2,225 railway rakes could not be operated to date, and Railways claims it has suffered a loss of Rs 1,200 crore. Dharnas continues at 32 locations in the state. To date, up to 1,350 passenger trains have also been canceled.
