Four-hour ‘Rail-Roko’ Protest: Farmers pressing Centre for legal guarantee of MSP
Four-hour ‘Rail-Roko’ Protest: Farmers pressing Centre for legal guarantee of MSP
HARISH MONGA
Ferozepur, March 10, 2024: Amid the farmers’ Delhi Chalo’ march, on a nationwide ‘rail roo’ protest call by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, the Ferozepur in Ferozepur also staged 4-hour protest (12 pm to 4 pm) by sitting on the railway tracks, to register their protest with the Centre over three major demands among a raft of demands. The three major demands are – for legal guarantee of MSP on crops, implementation of Dr Swaminathan’s report and waiving off of loans on farmers besides execution of various other agreed demands.
The protesting farmers have been staying at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana after their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march was stopped by security personnel on February 13. Today’s protest has caused potential disruptions in transportation and inconvenience to the public.
In Punjab, farmers had announced that they would sit on railway tracks at 52 locations in 22 districts, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur, Firozpur, Fazilka, Sangrur, Mansa, Moga and Bathinda.
Paramajit Singh Bhullar, District Vice President, and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, BKU Sidhpur said, on a nationwide ‘rail roko’ call, the farmers of Ferozepur have sat on the railway tracks, to protest against the Centre for accepting our demands. Our agitation will continue till our demands are not accepted. The government should not shy away from its responsibility. A law on MSP should be enacted to safeguard the country’s farmers.
They said, we have announced this protest in advance so that people may schedule their journeys accordingly, However, we regret the inconvenience to the public on this account, as we don’t have any other alternative except to protest when our genuine demands are not being accepted.
