Latest news with #KisanMazdoorSangharshCommittee
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Tarn Taran youth dies of suspected drug overdose
A 25-year-old man of a village in Tarn Taran district died reportedly of drug overdose on Sunday. The deceased hailed from Varana village in Khadoor Sahib subdivision of the district. He was found dead in nearby Naurangabad village, local residents said. A video has gone viral on social media in which his parents are seen crying after finding his body. The local police said the matter was being looked into. After the video went viral, political quarters cornered the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in the state. Sharing the video on X, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira wrote, 'While @ArvindKejriwal & @BhagwantMann are holding rallies and claiming Punjab a drug-free state bcoz of their so called War Against Drugs, people are dying daily of overdoses of drugs (sic).' Meanwhile, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, 'The chief minister reached out to those who died of spurious liquor. Will he also approach the grieving mother of that youth. Will she also get something from the government?'
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Won't add to country's challenges': Punjab farmers skip plan to block rail tracks amid India-Pakistan tensions
DEVIDASPURA: In a display of restraint and patriotism, farmers, labourers and women under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee , Punjab, opted for a peaceful sit-in on a nearby ground instead of disrupting rail traffic in Devidaspur, keeping in view the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. The protest was announced by state president Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra and general secretary Rana Ranbir Singh. It was initially planned as a rail blockade to oppose the Punjab government's policies and the alleged forceful land acquisition for the Bharatmala Project. "The decision to avoid rail disruption came as the nation grapples with heightened security concerns following Operation Sindoor and the closure of the Kartarpur Corridor," said farmer leader Sarvan Singh Pandher, adding that they are fighting for their rights, but they will not add to the country's challenges at this critical time. Emphasising the farmers' commitment to national interest, another farmer leader, Jarmanjit Singh Bandala, said that the protesters gathered at Devidaspura on May 6 night to condemn the Punjab government, which they accuse of transforming the state into a "police state." He alleged, "For years, the govt has acted on the Centre's orders, deploying police to forcibly acquire land while subjecting resisting farmers, labourers, and women to arrests, lathi charges, and abuse. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 10 Mysterious Photos That Cannot Be Explained True Edition Undo " Addressing the gathering, Pandher talked about the recent incidents, including alleged police crackdowns on farmer protests at Shambhu and other borders on March 19-20, and the high-handed response to a planned gherao of the Shambhu police station. "The police arrested our people from various districts, using brute force to crush our democratic rights," he alleged. He claimed a brief scuffle with police ensued, but the protesters halted near the tracks, clarifying they had no intention of blocking trains prematurely. In a significant move, they chose to relocate to a nearby ground, ensuring no disruption to rail services. The farmer leaders also warned, saying, "The govt's use of police to suppress farmer organisations and harass their families must stop. If this continues, we will launch large-scale protests to end this oppression."
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Punjab farmers' body call for ‘rail roko' on May 7 against ‘illegal, forced' land acquisition
The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) has announced a statewide Rail Roko protest on May 7 at Devidas Pura railway station in Amritsar district along the Amritsar–Delhi railway line, to oppose alleged illegal and forceful acquisition of farmland in Punjab without fair compensation. The call has come at a time when the border districts of Punjab are under high security alert and mockdrills of blackouts have begun. Amritsar is a sensitive border disirct having Wagah border. Sarwan Singh Pandher, leader of KMSC said,' the call is of a day and whether to continue it ahead or not depends on the response of administration.' More protest points will be added on May 8 if things are not resolved well in time, warned Pandher. The announcement was made by KMSC's state president Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra, general secretary Rana Ranbir Singh, and leader Sarwan Singh Pandher in a Sunday late evening meeting held at Amritsar. The leaders accused the Punjab government, under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, of turning the state into a 'police state' where land is being acquired under Bharatmala and other central projects across districts including Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Tarn Taran without following due legal and compensation processes. 'For the past three years, we have led protests at several locations where hundreds of farmers have been denied their fundamental rights. Lands have been seized without fair or timely compensation,' said Pandher. 'In many cases, landowners have not yet received awards, yet authorities are moving in to forcibly acquire their land.' The situation remains tense in villages like Saiduke (Amritsar district), where heavy police deployment was reported as authorities moved to occupy farmland ok Saturday , he told. Farmers, however, reclaimed possession in some areas. 'This high-handed approach, disguised as development, is only helping corporate interests while pushing landowners into distress,' said Sabhra, warning that the state government will have to face consequences if the concerns are not addressed. Preparations for the May 7protest are reportedly underway at a 'war footing' level. The leaders also cautioned that if the government does not respond by May 8, more rail roko protest points, including Basti Tenka Wali in Ferozepur, will be activated. 'The agitation may intensify further across the state,' said Rana Ranbir Singh. The farmers acknowledged the inconvenience the protest may cause to the public but stressed that the issue was a matter of survival for thousands of farming families. 'Our lands, worth crores, are being taken away for free or at throwaway prices. People are willing to lay down their lives rather than give up their land without justice,' the KMSC leaders stated.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Farmers dig in, resist cops as expressway rolls throughFarmers and police scuffle during land acquisition for Delhi-Amritsar-Katra highway in Punjab.
Gurdaspur: Dozens of farmers, including 16 women, were detained and several injured on Saturday during clashes with authorities over land acquisition for the Delhi–Amritsar–Katra expressway, part of the Centre's flagship Bharatmala infrastructure project . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The protests erupted in Punjab's Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts. Farmer unions have claimed that the detentions followed a police baton charge against the locals who resisted an attempt by the officials to take possession of their farmland at Cheema Khuddi village. The unions also allege that turbans were knocked off and excessive force was used. All detained individuals were released by evening, but the incident sparked renewed outrage over what farmers call unjust compensation practices. Gurbachan Singh Chabba of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) said farmers had rushed to the site after district officials, escorted by police, had started taking control of agricultural land without fair settlement. "They offered compensation that doesn't reflect market reality," he said. "How can they expect us to give up our land for a fraction of its value?" KMSC state vice-president Harvinder Singh Masania said the administration had attempted to take possession of a 4.5-km stretch, offering ₹36 lakh to the farmers for each acre. He argues that the Land Acquisition Act mandates compensation up to four times the market rate, accusing the govt of betrayal and manipulation. As tensions escalated, farmers overturned tractor-trailers to block police vehicles. Masania said cops had detained 34 farmers, including women, and taken them to nearby police stations at Alliwal, Ghanie ke Bangar, and Sri Hargobindpur. All were freed later the same day. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In Amritsar district, farmer unionist Germanjit Singh said police had detained three farmers from Nawanpind village during a peaceful demonstration against land acquisition along the Amritsar–Chowk Mehta Road. "They came to seize almost 7 acres. We resisted peacefully, yet our people were detained," he said, adding that they were released shortly after intervention by other protesters. The expressway project has faced consistent resistance from serveral farmer unions, who claim that it threatens agricultural livelihoods and violates the principles of equitable land compensation. The state govt has yet to comment on Saturday's incident. MSID:: 120852707 413 |
