Protesting Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee adamant on intercepting passenger trains

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 23

Farmers protesting against the agriculture legislations under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee remain adamant on intercepting passenger trains if they are allowed to run on the instance of the Centre and state governments.

Farmers have been staging sit-in near Jandiala Guru rail track for the past 61 days.

State president of the committee Satnam Singh Pannu, however, said that they won’t hinder the movement of goods trains.

“The Centre has been deliberately not allowing the freight trains’ operation as they want to defame the farmers’ agitation. We have cleared all tracks across the state since October 22, but we will not let the passenger trains to run till our contest against farm laws will be addressed,” said Pannu.

The farmers are all set to stage a protest against the farm laws in New Delhi on November 26.

On November 25, they are scheduled to meet Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in Chandigarh to discuss the issue.

Pannu said that as per the IG, Border Zone, Punjab, the CM wanted to meet them on Wednesday.

“We have no hesitation in meeting the CM, but we won’t bent till the farm laws are withdrawn,” he said.

When asked about the 31 farm unions which had agreed on letting the passenger trains operate for a fortnight, Pannu said, “Governments have been creating strife among the farming community. Our brethren have taken their decision and we won’t oppose it as the cause is common. However, we are taking our decisions independently as both the Centre and the state government share the common policy of suppressing farmers’ voice,” he said.

As some passenger trains will be operated from Tuesday, and farmers might have to face police action if they block the tracks at Jandiala Guru, Pannu said, “This would not be for the first time. We have faced police action on number of occasions in the past too,” he said.