Punjab: After Protests, 10 Farmer Bodies Declare Bandh On Sept 25

Reethu Ravi

September 17, 2020

In protest of the Centre’s farm ordinances, 10 farmer unions in Punjab, under the banner of the All India Kisan Sangrash Coordinator Committee (AIKSCC), have given a call for a bandh on September 25. The decision was taken at a meeting by the representatives of the bodies at Karnail Singh Issru Bhawan in Issru village of Ludhiana.

During the bandh, all businesses, road, and rail transport will be shut, the unions said.

‘On September 25, the Punjab bandh call was given to show our anger against the anti-farmer ordinances…This seems to be an era worse than Emergency as we have seen that time as well in our lives,’ Jagmohan Singh Patiala, working committee member of AIKSCC, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

In addition, the farmer unions have also called all similar groups who are against the ordinances to come under a joint platform to have a discussion on this issue on September 19 at Moga.

‘Different farm unions are protesting at their own level, hence this is our effort to bring all of them on a common platform as we all are protesting for a common cause. We hope all of us will be part of this meeting on September 19, and we will add up our strength to fight against the ordinances of which one anti-establishment bill has already been passed by parliament on Tuesday,’ said Buta Singh Burjgill, president of BKU (Dakaunda).

Meanwhile, Wednesday marked the second day of the ‘Pakka Morcha’ at Badal village and at the PUDA ground of Patiala as thousands gathered and are sitting day and night to mark their protest.

‘We have blocked nearly 2 km of road close to former CM Parkash Singh Badal’s residence. On Tuesday night, nearly three thousand of us slept on the road. We cooked langar as well at the dharna site only, while cooked food is also coming from nearby villages,’ said Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, general secretary of BKU(Ugrahan).

The farmers have been protesting to demand a rollback of the three ordinances introduced by the centre – the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.

Also Read: Punjab: Farmers Hold Protest Against Centre’s Farm Ordinances, Block Roads

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