Punjab farmers' 'rail roko' stir ends, movement of nearly 600 trains hit
Farmers are advocating for compensation due to crop damage caused by recent floods, a legal assurance for the minimum support price (MSP), and a comprehensive debt amnesty for all northern Indian states from the government.
- Sep 30, 2023,
- Updated Sep 30, 2023 8:44 PM IST
Farmers concluded their three-day 'rail roko' protest, which had disrupted train services and inconvenienced passengers in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday evening.
The protesters had been staging their demonstration against the government to voice various demands, including compensation for crop damage caused by recent floods, a legal guarantee for minimum support prices (MSP), and a complete debt amnesty.
Starting on Thursday, this agitation had a significant impact on train operations, resulting in many cancellations, short terminations, and diversions, according to railway authorities. Officials from the Ferozepur division reported that the three-day farmers' protest affected the movement of 581 passenger trains and 17 freight trains.
Among passenger trains, 376 were cancelled, 89 were short-terminated, 46 originated at different stations, and 70 were diverted. Farmers had blockaded railway tracks at various locations, including Faridkot, Samrala, Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Amritsar as part of their protest, leaving hundreds of rail passengers stranded in Punjab and Haryana.
A passenger at Ludhiana station shared that he had travelled from Jalandhar City by road to catch a train to Gorakhpur but was unaware of when the train would arrive. Another passenger at the station mentioned that the protest had led to the cancellation of a train from Amritsar, which his family members were supposed to take to Bihar. They later found out that the train would depart from Ludhiana, so the family had to travel from Amritsar by road. However, there was still no update on the train's status.
The farmers' protest had a direct impact on the Ambala and Ferozepur railway divisions, as per officials. In Hoshiarpur, the state president of the Azad Kisan Committee Doaba, Harpal Singh Sangha, issued a warning that if their demands were not met by Dussehra, farmers would symbolically burn effigies representing the government.
Several farmer groups, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari), Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Azaad), Azaad Kisan Committee Doaba, Bharti Kisan Union (Behramke), Bharti Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), and the Bharti Kisan Union (Chottu Ram), took part in the three-day protest.
Their demands encompassed a financial package for flood-affected individuals in northern India, legal assurance of MSP for all crops, and debt forgiveness for farmers. They sought a Rs 50,000-crore flood relief package for northern Indian states and the implementation of MSP in accordance with the Swaminathan Commission report. Additionally, they called for a complete waiver of farmers' and labourers' debts, along with compensation of Rs 10 lakh and government employment for the families of farmers who lost their lives during the agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws.
Farmers concluded their three-day 'rail roko' protest, which had disrupted train services and inconvenienced passengers in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday evening.
The protesters had been staging their demonstration against the government to voice various demands, including compensation for crop damage caused by recent floods, a legal guarantee for minimum support prices (MSP), and a complete debt amnesty.
Starting on Thursday, this agitation had a significant impact on train operations, resulting in many cancellations, short terminations, and diversions, according to railway authorities. Officials from the Ferozepur division reported that the three-day farmers' protest affected the movement of 581 passenger trains and 17 freight trains.
Among passenger trains, 376 were cancelled, 89 were short-terminated, 46 originated at different stations, and 70 were diverted. Farmers had blockaded railway tracks at various locations, including Faridkot, Samrala, Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Amritsar as part of their protest, leaving hundreds of rail passengers stranded in Punjab and Haryana.
A passenger at Ludhiana station shared that he had travelled from Jalandhar City by road to catch a train to Gorakhpur but was unaware of when the train would arrive. Another passenger at the station mentioned that the protest had led to the cancellation of a train from Amritsar, which his family members were supposed to take to Bihar. They later found out that the train would depart from Ludhiana, so the family had to travel from Amritsar by road. However, there was still no update on the train's status.
The farmers' protest had a direct impact on the Ambala and Ferozepur railway divisions, as per officials. In Hoshiarpur, the state president of the Azad Kisan Committee Doaba, Harpal Singh Sangha, issued a warning that if their demands were not met by Dussehra, farmers would symbolically burn effigies representing the government.
Several farmer groups, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari), Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Azaad), Azaad Kisan Committee Doaba, Bharti Kisan Union (Behramke), Bharti Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), and the Bharti Kisan Union (Chottu Ram), took part in the three-day protest.
Their demands encompassed a financial package for flood-affected individuals in northern India, legal assurance of MSP for all crops, and debt forgiveness for farmers. They sought a Rs 50,000-crore flood relief package for northern Indian states and the implementation of MSP in accordance with the Swaminathan Commission report. Additionally, they called for a complete waiver of farmers' and labourers' debts, along with compensation of Rs 10 lakh and government employment for the families of farmers who lost their lives during the agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws.