In Amritsar, Punjab, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher declared an escalation of their ongoing protest, outlining an array of demands. Pandher announced that the farmers’ unions are set to orchestrate a nationwide ‘Rail Roko’ protest on Sunday.
Scheduled to transpire between 12 noon and 4 pm, this ‘rail roko’ demonstration coincides with the ongoing ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by the farmers. Unveiling the intricacies of the agitation, Pandher, the general secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, expressed, “As a continuum of the protest initiated at the Punjab-Haryana border on February 13, today, we call for a ‘Rail Roko’ across the entire nation.”
“We implore all farmers, laborers, and ordinary citizens throughout the country to rally in substantial numbers in support of today’s ‘Rail Roko.’ Those with train journeys scheduled between 12 noon and 4 pm are also urged to defer their travel by a few hours. Commuters may experience some inconvenience today, but it is crucial to comprehend that this is merely a partial ‘Rail Roko,'” Pandher conveyed to ANI on Sunday.
He further elucidated that, as part of the protest, hundreds of farmers will position themselves on railway tracks at various locations. The protesting farmers have maintained their stance at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana, following the disruption of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by security personnel on February 13.
The farmers presenting their demands to the Centre encompass a broad spectrum, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) on their agricultural yields, withdrawal of legal actions against them stemming from previous protests, provision of pensions for farmers and farm laborers, debt relief, and a commitment to not escalate electricity tariffs.
In the latest round of negotiations with the farmers’ delegation, which concluded well past midnight on February 18, the panel of three Union ministers extended an offer to procure five crops—moong dal, urad dal, tur dal, maize, and cotton—at MSP for a duration of five years through central agencies.
Nevertheless, the protesting farmers rebuffed the proposal, choosing to return to their protest sites.