Farmers from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner) initiated a ‘rail roko’ protest at various locations throughout Punjab starting at noon, including at railway stations in Mansa, Barnala, and Rajpura. These protests coincide with scheduled discussions between farmer leaders and Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Nityananad Rai in Chandigarh on Thursday, marking the third consecutive meeting. Sarvan Singh Pandher, the General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, expressed optimism for a resolution following the talks between the Centre and farmer leaders on Thursday.
Moments after the protesting farmers resumed their march to the National Capital on Wednesday, chaos ensued at the Shambhu border. Security personnel fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowds. At least 10 farmers have been injured so far. Meanwhile, Delhi’s borders were further fortified, with security personnel deployed in large numbers and barricades laid out across all possible entry points. This comes after chaotic scenes played out along the Punjab Haryana border on Tuesday, with protestors clashing with security personnel, and the latter firing teargas shells — including some dropped from drones — to stop them. Dozens of people were injured in the process.
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What are the farmers demanding?
Among other things, the farmers are seeking MSP guarantee for 23 crops, waiver of their debts and withdrawal of cases registered against them during the 2020-21 farmers’ agitation. The Centre, which burnt its hands with that agitation, which lasted a year on Delhi’s borders and ended only after the scrapping of the three farm laws, held two rounds of meetings with farmer leaders in a bid to stall the march, without success.
‘Rail roko’ begins at Barnala railway station, set to continue till 4 pm
‘Rail roko’ began at Punjab’s Barnala railway station on Thursday, where farmers were seen sitting on the railway tracks as part of the ongoing protests. The ‘rail roko’ is set to continue at over ten locations till 4 pm.
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