Farmers across Punjab have halted train services by sitting on railway tracks for three hours on Wednesday, from noon to 3 PM. The three-hour rail roko protest in Punjab, organised by farmer groups Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, took place in 23 districts.The farmers have several demands, including:
- A law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops
- Debt waivers
- Pension benefits for farmers and workers
- Action for those affected by the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri incident
The current railway blockade is connected to a larger protest movement that started February 13, when farmers tried to march to Delhi but were stopped by police at Punjab-Haryana borders, according to farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher.
Since then, farmers have set up protest camps at two main border points; Shambhu and Khanauri. Recent attempts by 101 farmers to walk to Delhi on foot were blocked by Haryana police three times, that was on December 6th, 8th, and 14th.
Leaders of the ongoing farmers protest in Punjab have declined to attend a meeting with the Supreme Court-appointed committee in Panchkula. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal sent a letter to committee chairman and former judge Nawab Singh explaining their absence.In his letter, Dallewal cited two main reasons for not attending:
- Several farmers at the Shambhu border are injured and need attention.
- His own health issues prevent him from travelling.
The meeting was meant to address the ongoing clash between protesting farmers and authorities at the Punjab-Haryana borders.
A committee set up by the Supreme Court on September 2 to resolve the farmers’ concerns has faced a delay. The court promised on December 13 that all recommendations would be shared with everyone involved before making decisions. However, farmer groups have decided not to talk with the committee at this time.
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