Farmers demand debt waiver

Tarn Taran, December 3

Despite the police crackdown on the leaders of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) last night, hundreds of its workers came on the roads and blocked road and rail traffic in the area on Tuesday.

The state committee of the organisation had given a call for the protest.

The KMSC was demanding loan waiver for farmers and mazdoors , withdrawal of the notification regarding toll plaza at Mannan village on the Amritsar-Khemkaran road and others.

Hundreds of the KMSC workers blocked rail line near Gohalwar village, 15 km from here. The protesters staged a dharna near Palasaur village on the Tarn Taran-Shahbazpur road.

However, the blockade was lifted last evening on the assurance of SS Parmar, IG Amritsar, that a meeting would be arranged between KMSC leaders and Capt Amarinder Singh on December 12.

The police had detained more than 200 leaders and workers of the organisation from different villages to prevent the blockade.

Harpreet Singh Sidhwan, state leader of the organisation, said around 80 workers were detained in Patti police station, while 70 were kept in Bhikhiwind and Kairon police posts, besides some activists were also detained in Tarn Taran, Harike, Khalra, Chabal, Khadoor Sahib police stations, etc. All detained workers and their leaders were released in the evening before the meeting with the IG in Amritsar. — OC