Punjab: Farmers Hold Protest Against Centre's Farm Ordinances, Block Roads

The farmers are 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.

These ordinances, which farmers' organisation say are "anti-farmer", aim to provide a barrier-free trade for farmers' produce outside notified farm mandis and to empower farmers into farming agreements with private players prior to production for sale of agri-produce.

On Monday, members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee blocked the Amritsar-Delhi national highway at the Beas bridge, located around 40 km from Amritsar. In addition, the agitating farmers also blocked traffic at Harike headworks in Tarn Taran and on Tanda-Hargobindpur bridge in Hoshiarpur.

While different farmers' organisations raised slogans against the Centre for bringing the "anti-farmer" ordinances and demanded their rollback, hundreds of commuters were left stranded for several hours.

Satnam Singh Pannu, president of the outfit, said they would continue with their road blockades till their demand was accepted.

"The Centre should immediately revoke the three agriculture ordinances, which are anti-farmer as well as anti-people. Similarly, the Electricity Amendment Bill should also not be passed in Parliament," Kisan Sangharash Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

"Our protest is not only to awaken the Central government, but also to the opposition parties which should strongly oppose the three ordinances. There are more than 200 MPs from the farming communities. They should also support the farmers' concerns. If these ordinances are not revoked, we will not allow any MP or leader to enter the villages," he added.

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