Latest news with #SarwanSinghPandher
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.
Indian Express
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Farm unions hold meeting, to write to Centre seeking talks sans Punjab govt
SKM (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) on Saturday held a joint meeting at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh to discuss the next phase of their agitation. During the meeting, farmer leaders decided that a fresh letter would be sent to the central government on Sunday seeking a meeting exclusively between the Centre and farmer organisations. They said that they don't want any representatives of the Punjab government to take part in the talks. The farmer leaders said that they are open to dialogue and believe that meaningful conversations are the only way to resolve the ongoing issues. The decision to write again to the Centre comes in the wake of the May 1 letter from the Union Government, which cancelled the proposed May 4 meeting, following farmers' stand to boycott talks if Punjab government officials were involved. Referring to the May 1 letter from the Centre, the leaders said that the government had justified Punjab's participation in the talks by citing the need to uphold the federal structure. However, farmer leaders rejected the rationale and accused the Centre of weakening the federal framework repeatedly in the past. Also Read | Farm union leaders announce protests over Punjab Govt action: 'it's not badlav but badle di bhavana' SKM (non-political) convenor Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that the Centre has repeatedly encroached upon the rights of the states, thereby weakening the federal structure. 'The three farm laws introduced in 2020 were an attack on the rights of state governments, but at that time, the Centre did not express any concern about the federal structure. So citing the protection of federalism as a reason for including Punjab government representatives in the proposed meeting is far from the ground reality,' he said. KKM co-ordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher added that the attacks on the morchas at Shambhu and Khanauri border points by the Punjab government on March 19 have further deepened the trust deficit between the farmers and the Punjab governments, and it will be difficult to bridge the gap. 'We are not ready to make them sit in that meeting. We will write a fresh letter to the Union Agriculture Minister and wait for his response.' Pandher added that they will hold a protest on May 6 in front of the Shambhu police station against the police misconduct towards farmer leader Balwant Singh Behramke and others, and for forcibly lifting their dharnas on March 19. Another major point of concern raised during the meeting was the recent legal notices sent by Haryana Police to farmers involved in the agitation, including those linked to the Kheri Chaupata protest. Leaders from both fronts said that the matter was discussed and if the Haryana Police does not stop issuing such notices, they would be forced to launch a larger protest. They said that the Haryana government will be responsible for any consequences. Another joint review meeting is scheduled for May 25.
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Centre cancels May 4 talks with farmer unions
The Centre has cancelled the May 4 meeting scheduled with farmer unions after the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha – Non-Political asked Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to exclude the Punjab government from the talks. In a letter dated May 1, addressed to KMM and SKM (Non-Political), the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has asked the unions to reconsider their stand. The meeting will be rescheduled after a response is received from the unions. The letter, sent by Joint Secretary Puran Chandra Kishan, states: 'We had written to you on April 25 about our proposed meeting on May 4, to which you replied on April 27, asking us to keep the Punjab government out of the talks or you would not participate in the meeting.' It adds, 'However, in a federal structure, the presence of the state government plays a significant role. Hence, the participation of state government representatives is appropriate.' Sarwan Singh Pandher, coordinator of KMM, said, 'We had categorically told the Union government about our stand, and their reply indicates that the communication regarding our demands is at a standstill now.' He added that KMM and SKM (Non-Political) will hold a meeting on May 3 to decide the future course of action. In their April 27 letter, the farmer leaders had stated that after the March 19 talks, the Punjab government betrayed their trust by arresting several leaders while they were returning from the meeting. The letter also alleged the use of force against peaceful protesters at Shambhu and Khanauri borders. The letter was signed by Abhimanyu Kohar, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande, Sarwan Singh Pandher, and Sukhwinder Kaur, among others. SKM (Non-Political) and KMM had been staging sit-ins at Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13, 2024. The protests were cleared on March 19, following the seventh round of talks. Hundreds of farmers were arrested on March 19 and released on March 28. The Punjab Police used force to clear NH-44 and NH-52, with farmer leaders alleging that many trolleys and belongings were lost during the action. The earlier rounds of talks between farmer unions and the Centre were held on February 8, 12, 15, and 18 in 2024, and on February 14, 22, and March 19 in 2025. The farmers' key demands include a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops, complete loan waivers to address rising debt, and concerns over international trade agreements and their possible adverse effects on Indian agriculture.
