Support grows for Punjab farmers, non-agriculture bodies join in

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, September 22

People from various walks of life have extended support to state farmers, who are on warpath against the three farm Bills.

Organisations such as the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, Malwa Zone Private Bus Operators, Bathinda Car Dealers Union, Budhlada Bar Association, Punjab Nambardar Union and Punjab Swarankar Sangh have announced support to farmers for their Punjab bandh call on September 25.

Amit Kapoor, president, Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, and Punjab Swarankar Sangh chief Kartar Singh Jaura urged the Union Government to withdraw the “anti-farmer” Bills. Kapoor said: “Farmers, arhtiyas, dealers selling pesticides, seeds and fertilisers and others linked to the sector will be adversely affected by the new legislations.”

Members of the Malwa Zone Private Bus Operators Union took out a protest march in Bathinda, besides joining the stir by the BKU (Sidhupur) outside the DC office here.

Car dealers in the district too announced to keep their shops shut during the Punjab bandh. Budhlada Bar Association president Sukhdarshan Singh and others condemned the Centre for its “anti-farmer” stance.

Punjab Nambardar Union president Amritpal Singh said: “Punjab is an agrarian state. If the Bills get passed, these will affect all sections of the society. We thus stand by the farmers in their fight.”