Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee extends ‘rail roko’ agitation in Punjab till Oct 8

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Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KSMC) has again extended ‘rail roko’ agitation in Punjab against recently enacted farm laws till October 8. The protests were scheduled to end on October 5 (today). The members of Committee held a candlelight vigil as they continue ‘rail roko’ agitation in Amritsar’s Devidaspura village, in protest against the farm laws.

Secretary of the committee said to ANI, Sukhbinder Singh said that as an elected Prime Minister, Narendra Modi could have discussed the provisions of the Bills before introducing and passing them in Parliament, they were protesting there and holding a candlelight vigil.

He added that they had extended their protest until October 8, they would continue their agitation till government rollback the laws. The rail roko farmers’ agitation was launched by the Committee in Punjab on September 24 and was scheduled to conclude on September 26. However, it was extended till September 29 and it is now scheduled to be concluded on October 8.

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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.

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 laws 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 has recently passed the three Bills which have come into effect from September 27 after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent. The three bills – Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 – were passed in the monsoon session of parliament.

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