Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are demanding farmers’ demands, including legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) on all crops. Due to this, to put pressure on the government, today the farmers have called for ‘Stop Rail’ movement, they will stop the train for 4 hours. Meanwhile, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told reporters that the protesting farmers will sit on railway tracks at several places in Punjab, including Ferozepur, Amritsar, Rupnagar, Gurdaspur districts.
Pandher said that as part of the movement that started on the Punjab-Haryana border on February 13, we have called for ‘Rail Roko’ across the country today. We urge all the farmers, laborers and common people of the country to support us in ‘Rail Roko’ in large numbers today. We also urge those who wish to travel by train between 12 noon and 4 pm today to avoid doing so for 4 hours today. Today people may have to face some inconvenience. This is a partial ‘rail roko’.
Who will be involved in ‘Rail Roko’
This Delhi march of farmers started from 13th February. The protesting farmers are camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border borders between Punjab and Haryana after the security forces stopped their march towards Delhi. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Saturday urged the Center not to run away from its responsibility of providing legal guarantee for MSP on all crops. Whereas farmers are preparing for Rail Roko movement on Sunday to fulfill their demands.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), Bharti Kisan Union (Dakaunda-Dhaner) and Krantikari Kisan Union are farmers’ organizations which are part of the United Kisan Morcha and will be involved in the ‘Rail Roko’ movement. At the same time, United Kisan Morcha is not a part of the “Delhi Chalo” call. Meanwhile, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told reporters that the protesting farmers will sit on railway tracks at several places in Punjab, including Ferozepur, Amritsar, Rupnagar, Gurdaspur districts.
When did the Delhi March start?
This Delhi march of farmers started on 13 February. The protesting farmers are camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border borders between Punjab and Haryana after the security forces stopped their march towards Delhi. Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are leading the “Delhi Chalo” march to put pressure on the government to accept farmers’ demands, including legal guarantee for MSP on all crops.
Why are farmers angry with the government?
Citing reports, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has rejected the Centre’s plan of guaranteed procurement of pulses (arhar, urad and masoor), maize and cotton at minimum support price (MSP). . Dallewal stressed that farmers should be given MSP on all crops under the “C2 plus 50 percent” formula recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. Dallewal said that the government is importing palm oil worth Rs 1.38 lakh crore, but it cannot spend on it by giving MSP to farmers on all crops. He said, “The government should not run away from its responsibility. To save the farmers of the country, a law should be made on MSP.”
Demands of farmers
• Major demands include guarantee on MSP on their crops.
• They are demanding implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations for MSP, pension for farmers and agricultural workers and waiver of farm loans.
• Apart from this, farmers are demanding from the Center to provide “justice” for the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.