Delhi, 27th July, 2020: More than one dozen peasant organisations of Punjab today organised a massive tractor march in 21 districts of Punjab and gheraoed the houses and offices of MLA’s and MP’s belonging to Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine. The organisations are demanding withdrawal of the recently promulgated anti-farmer legislations/ordinances under the garb of “agri-reforms” but which are actually pro-corporate, immediate reduction of price of sky-rocketing diesel rates by half and stoppage of attack on the civil liberties of activists, intellectuals, poets, writers and cultural activists by the NDA Govt.
The farmer leaders ridiculed the statement of Union Agriculture Minister about ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP) and said that the statement has no value unless there is a procurement system in place. Actually, all these ordinances are paving the way of handing over crop marketing to corporate houses and the government has contemplated abolishing minimum support price. The farmer leaders warned that the coming years will be disastrous for peasantry as big private players will rig the market and buy farm produce cheaply. So far, Agriculture and Electricity were part of the Concurrent List but the union government has enacted laws on these subjects. With these ordinances, Punjab farmers who have land holdings less than 5 acres will be pushed out of agriculture and big corporate houses with huge land holdings of thousands of acres will dominate agriculture.
Today action was jointly carried out by 12 organisations consisting of Bharti Kissan Union, Ekta (Dakaunda), Kirti Kissan Union, Zamhoori Kissan Sabha, Kul Hind Kissan Sabha, Punjab, All India Kissan Sabha ((Ajay Bhawan), Kissan Sangharsh Committee Punjab, Azaad Kissan Sangharsh Committee, Jai Kissan Andolan, Bharti Kissan Union Ekta (Ugrahan) and Bharti Kissan Union (Krantikari).
Protests was held in front of the residence of Lok Sabha MP and President of SAD and Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Cabinet Minister, in village Badal. Similarly, a demonstration was held against Sikander Singh Maluka, a Senior SAD leader in Bathinda and against Shri Surjit Singh Rakhra, Senior SAD leader at Leela Bhawan, Patiala as well as in front of his residence In village Rakhra. Protests were also held against Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon in Tarantaran, Union Minister Som Parkash in Phagwara, SAD MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala in Nakodar, the office of Harsimrat Kaur Badal in Mansa, the office of Balwinder Singh Bhundar in Mansa, the office of Mantar Singh Brar in Kotakpura, the office of Bunty Romana, Central Youth SAD leader in Faridkot, Sukhpal Singh Nannu, BJP leader in Ferozpur, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, General Secretary, SAD, Badal. Protests were also held against Hari Singh Zira, Vijay Puri (BJP leaders of Ropar), Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Tota Singh (SAD leaders), Tarlochan Singh (President of BJP Kisan Wing), Shwet Malik (Rajya Sabha member of BJP) in Amritsar, Paramjit Singh (SAD leader) in Kapurthala, Sukhwinder Sukhi (SAD leader) in Nawashehr, Manpreet Singh Iyali in Ludhiana, Surjit Kaur Jiani in Fazilka.
Demonstrations were also organised in front of the offices of Senior SAD leader Parkash Chand Garg in Bhawanigarh, BJP leader Vijay Sampla in Hoshiarpur, Akali leader Balbir Singh Ghunnas and Kulwant Singh Kitu in Barnala, Senior Akali leader & President SGPC, Govind Singh Longowal in Longowal, BJP MLA Dinesh Babbu in Pathankot. Farmers from Fatehgarh Sahib also demonstrated in front of the office of Surjit Singh Rakhra.
