Punjab farmers’ protests continue for second day

AAP CM Bhagwant Mann criticizes farmer unions for blocking roads, creating inconvenience to common man. SKM coordinator Darshan Pal says AAP has changed attitude since coming to power. Farmers are protesting for hike in sugarcane crop price from Rs 380 to Rs 450 per quintal. SAD chief spokesperson Arshdeep Singh says CM's choice of words for farmers unfortunate. AAP govt accused of anti-farmer, anti-Punjab stance.

As farmers continued to stage demonstrations for the second day on Wednesday against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab’s Jalandhar, demanding a rise in State-assured price for sugarcane crop, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that farmer unions were harassing the people by blocking the roads for the sake of their vested interests.

He asked the farmers union to stop the undue harassment of the common man by blocking roads in the State. In a statement issued, the Chief Minister said that the farm unions must desist from creating inconvenience to the common man else the people will turn against them.

He said that just for their vested interests the Unions are harassing the people by blocking the roads thereby jeopardizing their routine lives, which is highly unfortunate. He said that the doors of his office and residence along with Punjab Bhawan, Punjab Civil Secretariat, and the office of the Agriculture Minister are always open for dialogue.

Mr. Mann’s remark invited sharp criticism from political parties and farmer outfits. Darshan Pal, coordinator of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), said that the AAP should not forget that it was also born out of ‘dharnas’ itself, and in fact, extended support to farmers during their protests when they were not in power. 

“Now, when they (AAP) have come to power their attitude has completely changed. Farmers are staging protests out of compulsion and not out of choice. If the AAP government had resolved our long pending issues, there was no need for us to protest. Before coming to power, the AAP promised to solve all farmers’ issues but now they even hesitate to meet us. If the government accepts our demands, why would we protest? The onus is on the government to resolve the situation,” said Mr. Pal.

Scores of farmers, led by Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba) under the collective banner of SKM from various regions of Punjab have been on an indefinite protest since November 20 and have blocked a stretch of the national highway near Dhanowali village in Jalandhar. Vehicular movement has been disrupted on the national highway, and vehicles are being diverted to alternate routes. They are demanding a hike in procurement price for sugarcane crops from ₹380 to ₹450 per quintal.

BKU (Doaba) leader Manjit Rai said they had apprised the government several times to enhance the sugarcane assured price but to no avail. “We will continue our ongoing protest until our demands are met. The State government has kept its assured prices very low compared to other States, also the arrears of previous years have not been paid by sugarcane mills so far,” he said.