Punjab: Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee continues 'rail roko' agitation

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee continued their 'rail roko' agitation in Amritsar here, in protest against the farm Bills, recently passed in Parliament.

The Railways had cancelled various special trains running from the Ferozepur division from September 24 to 26, following the agitation which was scheduled to conclude on September 26, but has been extended by three days.

While talking to ANI, members of the committee said the agitation will be strengthened in the coming days and would "force the government to rollback the Bills".

"We are protesting here in Devidaspura for the last three days. We recite prayers in the morning and continue to sit on protest. It will be continued till September 29. We are demanding the Bills' cancellation. The number of protesters is increasing. People are coming here in large numbers against the Modi government's dangerous farm Bills," said Gurucharan Singh Chabba, Secretary of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee's Amritsar unit.

"The farm Bills passed by Parliament will help the big corporates as they will be able to hoard the crops. It will end the mandi system," he added.

The protesters under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee have blocked the railway tracks by putting up a tent on the railway lines. They are raising anti-government slogans and demanded rollback of all the farm Bills at Devidaspura, a village on the city outskirts.

State general secretary (Committee) Sarwan Singh Pandher said, "We will protest in various parts of Punjab. This rail roko agitation will continue across the country. It has become a people's movement now. I thank all who are protesting against the Bill. We will review the agitation on September 28, depending upon the situation. We will force the government to withdraw the Bill."

Similar protests against the farm legislations have been witnessed in various parts of the country including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Odisha.

According to the Centre, these Bills will help small and marginal farmers by allowing them to sell produce outside 'mandis' and sign agreements with agri-business firms and doing away with stock-holding limits on key commodities.

The Parliament recently passed The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.