Farmers block railway tracks in Ludhiana district for 4 hours

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 18

In view of the rail roko call given by farmers’ unions, hundreds of farmers and their supporters staged dharnas on railway tracks at different locations in the district from 12 noon to 4 pm on Thursday, marking their protest against the new farm laws.

In Ludhiana district, farmers blocked the tracks at the Ludhiana railway station, Jagraon, Chowkiman, Mullanpur, Kila Raipur, Sahnewal, Dhandari Kalan and other locations. A number of residents also participated in the protests in the city and suburbs.

The agitators raised slogans against the Modi government, demanding the repeal of the farm laws. Members of the Bharti Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan) criticised the Central Government for ignoring the demands of farmers.

Farmers also kept a two-minute silence on the Amritsar-Delhi railway tracks in Ludhiana, paying tributes to those who had lost their lives during the ongoing stir against the laws. They demanded the release of the arrested farmers and activists and the cancellation of the FIRs that were registered against them at the earliest.

Bharpoor Singh Tharike of the BKU Ekta (Ugrahan), said, “On the call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, we are sitting on the tracks at the Ludhiana railway station. We have been demanding from the Centre the repeal of the laws. More than 200 farmers have died in the ongoing stir.”

“The government should hear the voice of the farmers and repeal these laws. The MSP-based procurement should be guaranteed. Moreover, the farmers and activists, arrested for raising their voice in support of farmers, should be immediately released. We will keep fighting for our rights till the black laws are repealed.”

During dharna at the railway station, Jaswant Singh Jirakh said, “We are following the footsteps of martyrs Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha and Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who sacrificed their lives for the country’s freedom We are fighting for our rights. All should be united against the divisive forces.”

Members of the Jamhoori Adhikar Sabha Punjab Ludhiana, Moulder and Steel Workers Union, Tarksheel Society Punjab, Lok Ekta Sangathan, Inquilabi Kender Punjab, and other organisations also participated in the protests.