Farmers' bodies call nationwide 'rail roko' protest today
Farmers, who resumed marching toward Delhi on March 6, will be holding a nationwide "rail roko" (stop trains) agitation for four hours on Sunday. The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) called for the agitation to continue pressing their demands on the central government. According to reports, Sunday's rail roko protest will be held between 12:00pm and 4:00pm.
Why does this story matter?
Hundreds of farmers from Haryana and Punjab launched the "Delhi Chalo" protest, calling for a law that guarantees a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops. The protesters are also seeking the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations and loan waivers and pensions for farmers and farm laborers. To recall, the protesting farmers had halted their march following the death of 22-year-old Shubhkaran Singh during agitation last month.
Protests planned in Punjab and Haryana
According to Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, the protesting farmers will sit on railway tracks at numerous locations in Punjab, including Amritsar, Rupnagar, Ferozepur, and Gurdaspur districts. The locations in Haryana include Manakpur in Panchkula, Mohda railway crossing in Ambala, and Sarsini in Ambala, where members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) will also stage protests.
'Rail roko' protest to take place in other states too
Apart from the aforementioned states, the rail roko protest will be observed in states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher confirmed. Meanwhile, the Bharti Kisan Union (Dakaunda-Dhaner), Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), and the Krantikari Kisan Union will also take part in Sunday's rail roko protest.
Further details on Sunday's rail roko
Sunday's rail roko is taking place to seek justice for 22-year-old Singh, who died on February 21 allegedly due to a firearm injury in his head, MSP calculation according to the C2+50 formulae, and others. The Indian Express reported that Section 144 has been imposed in Ambala under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) ahead of the rail roko. Moreover, the police are also reaching the houses of several farmer union leaders.
