CHANDIGARH/ BATHINDA/ AMRITSAR: Punjab farmer unions, which have been protesting for over two months against the Centre’s three contentious agrimarketing laws, on Saturday agreed to the chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh’s appeal and decided to allow passenger trains to run in the state from November 23 till December 10.
The decision to lift the rail blockade was announced by Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal at a meeting of the farm group representatives with the Punjab CM. He, however, warned that the blockade would be resumed if the central government failed to hold talks with the farmers’ representatives in the next 15 days to address their concerns about the contentious laws. Farmer leaders Buta Singh Burjgill and Darshan Pal said despite the relaxation for passenger trains all other protests will continue.
Blockade caused ₹40,000 cr loss to state: Amarinder
The proposed protest in Delhi on November 26-27 remains in force and we will go prepared for a longer duration if the government does not allow us to reach Delhi,” they said. All other protests, including blocking of toll plazas, petrol pumps and businesses owned by the Reliance group and protests outside the residences of BJP leaders will continue.
After the announcement, Amarinder urged the Modi government to reciprocate by restoring all train services in the state, and also to hold talks with the farmer representatives to resolve the crisis.
The chief minister at the meeting said the blockade had caused Rs 40,000 crore in losses to the state so far. He also highlighted the acute shortage in the state of coal, fertilizer, urea, among other essential commodities. A large number of industrial units had closed down in Ludhiana and Jalandhar due to scarcity of raw material, resulting in 6 lakh migrant labourers going back to their natives places, he told the unions.
“Had a fruitful meeting with Kisan Unions. Happy to share that starting 23rd Nov night, Kisan Unions have decided to end rail blockades for 15 days. I welcome this step since it will restore normalcy to our economy. I urge Central Govt to resume rail services to Punjab forthwith,” tweeted Amarinder after the meeting.
The CM assured the farm leaders that he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah soon to press for their demands. “Let us together put pressure on the Centre to see our point of view and understand how these (central farm) laws would ruin Punjab,” he said, asserting that he was with the farmers in their fight.
Amarinder also promised the farm representatives that he would look into their other demands, including those related to sugarcane price hike and clearance of dues, as well as withdrawal of FIRs registered in stubble burning cases.
The industry in Punjab, independent power plants and wheat growers heaved a sigh of relief after the decision was announced. The movement of all trains was stalled in the state on September 24 with the start of the ‘rail roko’ agitation and freight trains only plied for two days in between on October 22-23.
Welcoming the decision, PPCC president Sunil Jakhar exhorted all parties to work together in the interest of the farmers and the state. “We will not allow Punjab to burn, we will not allow the BJP to divide us on rural-urban or religious lines,” he declared.
The farm groups made it clear that they were giving permission for the plying of passenger trains as there was dire necessity for urea and coal in the state and for moving food grains out of Punjab.