'Rail Roko' Protest Begins In Punjab

Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha called the protest…


On Wednesday, 18 December 2024, farmers blocked train routes at several places in Punjab as part of the 'Rail Roko' protest to press the Centre into accepting their various demands, including a legally binding MSP for crops.

The call for the 'rail roko' has been given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

On Wednesday, 18 December 2024, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers have been protesting on rail tracks at many places from noon and will continue till 3 pm.

Protesting sites included Moga, Faridkot, Kadian and Batala in Gurdaspur; Phillaur in Jalandhar; Tanda, Dasuya, Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur; Makhu, Talwandi Bhai in Ferozepur; Sahnewal in Ludhiana; Shambhu in Patiala; Mohali, and Sunam and Lehra in Sangrur.

Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped.

Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana for the past three weeks to press the Centre to accept the farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops. A "jatha" of 101 farmers made three attempts to enter Delhi. Haryana security personnel did not allow them to proceed.

Besides a legal guarantee on MSP for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity bills, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of the demands. 

Edited By: Tanvi Walia

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