Punjab farmers continue to block tracks, extend rail roko till Sept 29

A bare-chested demonstration in Amritsar on Saturday. (Photo: Rana Simranjit Singh)

Protesting farmers in Punjab Saturday extended their ‘rail roko’ agitation, that began Thursday, by three days till September 29 following which the Ferozepur Railway Division decided not to run trains on Sunday. Earlier, farmers had decided to block trains till September 26.

“We have decided not to operate trains on September 27 as farmers are still squatting on some rail tracks in Punjab,” Divisional Railway Manager Rajesh Agrawal said. Further decision will be taken on Sunday evening as per prevailing circumstances, he said.

A group of 31 farmer outfits in Punjab have already announced an indefinite ‘rail roko’ protest from October 1 in protest of the passage of three farm Bills in the Parliament. The call for the ongoing was given by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KSMC) after which 20 trains were partially cancelled and five short terminated till September 26 by the Railways.

The farmers continued to squat on the tracks in different parts of the state raising slogans against the BJP-led Union government while demanding the rollback of the Bills. In Amritsar, a group of protesting farmers went shirtless to express their anger against the farm Bills.

KSMC president Satnam Singh Pannu said, “We have been on roads for more than 20 days now. Earlier, we blocked bridges on Sutlej and Beas river and now we have blocked the train tracks. We have left our houses to save our fields, the labourers and the ahrtiyas. Now we will increase rail roko points at Jalandhar, Mukerian and few other places in Doaba and Majha regions”.

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