Farmers to Launch Countrywide ‘Rail Roko’ to Intensify Stir

New Delhi: Farmers organisations on Thursday unanimously took a decision to intensify their agitation against the three Central farm legislations by rail blockades – this time across the country, not just in Punjab.

The rail traffic – both, passenger and freight – to Punjab had come to a grinding halt for almost two months this year, when all the 31 state farmers’ collectives had announced a ‘rail roko’ back in September. Rail movement only resumed in the state after  November 23, when the blockade was ‘completely’ lifted by the protesting farmers’ bodies to allow passenger trains to operate.

The Centre had maintained the position that either both trains – passenger and goods – would run, or there would be no rail movement in the state. Owing to the economic pains as a consequence of  no freight movement, goods trains were allowed to run much earlier with the farmers clearing the rail tracks by shifting their protest to railway station parking premises.

“When we shifted our dharnas from the rail tracks to station parking lots, we gave the Centre an ultimatum till December 10 for resolving the issues,” Boota Singh, president, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) – Dakaunda from Punjab told the media here on Thursday at a press conference at Delhi-Haryana Singhu Border.

With that period (December 10) ending today, Singh said the farm unions, coming together under a national coordination body, Kisan Samyukt Morcha, have now decided to squat on rail tracks across the country. A date will be soon finalised on when it should begin, he added.

The announcement to stage a countrywide ‘rail roko’ agitation came a day after farmers’ union rejected the written offer of the Narendra Modi – led Central government, which made it clear to the former that the Centre is not willing to go beyond amendments to some of the provisions of the contentious farms laws and an assurance – in writing – over the continuance of the minimum support price (MSP).

Darshan Pal Singh of Krantikari Kisan Union told the media that the protesting farmers’ unions are “in-principle” against the farm legislations, while reiterating that nothing short of “repealing” the laws will break the deadlock.

Another farmer leader present during the conference asked the Centre “what it will lose” by accepting the demands of the farmers and repealing the laws. “It is looking more like a matter of ego for the Centre now,” which is not ready to listen to the farmers, the leader said.

Calling the promise on MSP “flimsy”, All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), a constituent of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, accused the Centre on Thursday of being “insensitive” toward farmers’ grievances over agriculture reforms.

In a press statement, the umbrella body of over 250 farmers’ bodies from across the country said farmers were determined to continue the stand-off “indefinitely”, as more and more farmers were joining the movement.

Meanwhile, thousands of farmers are camping for the 15th day at least at two entry-exit points to the national capital – Singhu and Tikri border – that connects the city with Haryana. They have been joined by farmers mainly from Western Uttar Pradesh, who have gathered at the Ghazipur border, connecting Uttar Pradesh with Delhi, in protest.

The farm leaders have given a call to block the Delhi-Jaipur highway on or by December 12. On the same day, toll plazas countrywide will be “freed” for one day, according to the plan shared by farm leaders on Thursday. A call to stage indefinite dharnas outside the district collectorate offices in Punjab has also been given.

“In Punjab, already demonstrations are being staged at multiple spots and products of corporate houses and malls are being boycotted,” Singh of BKU Dakaunda said.

The farmers have also given another ‘Delhi Chalo’ call for December 14, while appealing those farmers groups who cannot make it to the national capital, to organise a sit-in protest in their district itself.

Meanwhile, Thursday also saw the agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar  once again urging the farmer leaders to consider the Centre’s proposals and saying the Centre  was ready for further discussions with the farmers’ representatives.

“The government is ready to consider with an open mind any provision in the new laws where farmers have any issues and we want to clarify all their apprehensions,” news agency PTI reported Tomar as saying in a press conference.

Till now, five rounds of talks between the government interlocutors and the farmers’ delegations have taken place, but to no avail. The sixth round of talks, scheduled on Wednesday, was cancelled.

This was so after some farmers’ representatives met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in an ‘informal’ meeting on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, there were reports that a section of farmers were “upset” with those who attended the meeting  called by Home Minister Amit Shah and flayed them for engaging in “parallel” talks at a time when official consultations with the Centre were on.

However, dismissing “rumours” being spread over supposed ‘differences’  between farmers’ bodies, Singh of BKU Dakaunda said all the unions were on the same page. “We don’t have any disagreements among us,” he said.