BHAKIU (Ekta-Ugrahan) calls for coordinated support of Shambhu Khanori struggling farmers’ train jam through massive motorcycle marches across Punjab and cancellation of Central Agriculture Marketing Bill.
Today, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) held a motorcycle march in more than 1300 villages of 62 blocks of 18 districts. Giving this information through a joint press release, the president of the organization Joginder Singh Ugrahan and general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan said that thousands of farmers including a large number of youths were involved in the motorcycle marches. He said that these marches have been carried out in support of the train jam of the struggling farmers at Shambhu Khanuri and mainly for the demand of canceling the Central Market Farming Bill.
Apart from this, there is also a demand to fulfill all the written government promises regarding the legal guarantee of MSP and other pending demands, from which the Modi government has run away. Farmer leaders speaking at different places said that the farmers are fighting for the law guaranteeing MSP on Shambhu and Khanuri borders, but the central government is cutting the roots of MSP through this draft.
This draft is aimed at grabbing land by taking advantage of the government marketing structure and handing over the hard-earned crop earnings of the farmers to corporates at the price of paddies. Direct purchase from farms through contract market and job displacement of farmers, pallet workers, marketing workers and truck drivers through the network of silo markets will also be on a large scale. With the abolition of market taxes levied on corporates and big traders, rural development work will come to a complete standstill.
He insisted that the rightful demands of the struggling farmers along the Haryana borders including the MSP should be negotiated immediately to save the life of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast to death. Deep regret was expressed by strongly condemning the forcing of farmer Ranjodh Singh Ratanheri to commit suicide by forceful police attack on Shambhu border. Haryana government lathi-charged three times and fired tear gas shells on farmers walking towards Delhi at the behest of the central government.
He alleged that the Bhagwant Mann government’s silence regarding this draft for 20 days shows that the Punjab government is also in league with the corporate world and the central government. The December 19 meeting statement on the issue came only after sharp public comments. He insisted that the Punjab government should either pass the resolution to reject this agriculture marketing draft in the Vidhan Sabha, or else be prepared to face the sharp farmers’ anger. All the working classes of the society, including the farmers and laborers, were invited to unite and engage in strong preparations for a long and vigorous public struggle against this four-pronged attack. Other keynote speakers included Jhanda Singh Jethuke, Shingara Singh Mann, Roop Singh Chhannan, Hardeep Singh Tallewal, Jagtar Singh Kalajhar, Janak Singh Bhutal, Harinder Kaur Bindu, Kuldeep Kaur Kussa, Kamaljit Kaur Barnala and district/block/village level leaders. were