- विज्ञापन -
Ludhiana, Punjab: On Monday, the United Kisan Morcha organised a huge rally at the new grain market of Jagraon in Ludhiana district of Punjab. Thousands of farmers, labourers and women participated in the rally. Along with farmer-labour organisations, leaders of the coordination committee against cancer-spreading gas factories were also present in the rally. The leaders of the United Kisan Morcha and brotherhood organisations made several allegations against the government.
Punjab government accused of coercion
The leaders accused the Punjab government of using force for the last few months. They raised the issue of lathicharge on farmers going to Chandigarh on March 5 and on Shambhu and Khanauri borders on March 19. The leaders opposed the forceful occupation of land in Kulriya, Bathoi Kalan, Jind and Seed Farm Abohar.
The issue of fake police encounters
They also opposed the forcible land acquisition for the Bharat Mala project. The leaders also raised the issue of fake police encounters under the guise of the campaign against drugs. The killing of Narinder Deep Singh, a youth from Goniana Mandi, by Bathinda CIA staff was mentioned. The speakers alleged that all this is a plan to clear the way for a free trade agreement with the US.
He said- people of Punjab are not suppressed
The leaders said that the government wants people to get scared and stay away from the struggle, but the people of Punjab never get suppressed. They enter the field with more enthusiasm. The farmers’ organizations accepted the Chief Minister’s challenge. They said that they are ready for a live debate, the Chief Minister should tell the time and place.
Opposition to Dam Safety Act
Farmer leaders said that they have been opposing the Dam Safety Act since the beginning. The Punjab government has not yet passed a resolution in the assembly to repeal it. The Water Purification Act was implemented, which gave industrialists a free hand to pollute water. Many resolutions were passed in the assembly.
Demand to close biogas factory
These include judicial investigation of the murder of Narinder Deep Singh and getting justice, stopping arrests of common people in the name of drugs, taking action against big drug smugglers, releasing the arrested leaders of the Land Acquisition Struggle Committee, resolving the issue of Adarsh School Chowk, reaching a settlement in favor of the farmers of Kulriya, closing down biogas factories that are spreading cancer,
End Operation Tiger
The demands included cancellation of the decision to set up a cement factory near Chamkaur Sahib, withdrawal of the decision of GLADA to grab 24311 acres of land in Ludhiana and ending Operation Tiger being run by the Central Government against the tribals/Maoists. All the proposals were passed with loud applause.
Blockade at Rani Jhansi Chowk
After the rally, the farmers started a road march from the market with tractor trolleys. The police stopped it by putting up a blockade at Rani Jhansi Chowk. At the end of the program, a memorandum was handed over to SDM Karnadeep Singh, but before that the entire story of police atrocities was told. Slogans were also raised to vent out anger against the hooliganism committed by a DSP rank officer in village Akhara.
The traffic was completely jammed due to the farmers’ march. For the first time during the road march, slogans were raised in protest against the DSP.
