Punjab: Monday’s Bandh ‘Successful’; SKM Leaders Decline to Meet SC-appointed body

New Delhi: The Punjab bandh called by Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) on Monday brought the state to a halt, with markets, factories, schools and universities reporting a complete shutdown. The protesters stopped trains at 250 locations compelling Northern Railways to cancel the services of 172 trains and affecting the services of 232 trains.

The nine-hour bandh was called to press the Centre to initiate a dialogue with farmers organisations protesting at Khanauri and Shambhu borders over 13 demands, including legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and one-time debt relief from public and private banks. 

Notably, the constituent organisations of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and Krantikari Kisan Union, too, participated in the strike. Farmers blocked major highways in Patiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Faridkot, Bathinda, Ferozpur and Pathankot. Farmer unions also blocked Dhaneri Jattan Toll Plaza and stopped the movement of vehicles from Patiala to Chandigarh.

KMSS convenor Sarvan Singh Pandher said he wanted to thank “three crore Punjabis for making the bandh successful”. However, he claimed that the people going for job interviews were not stopped. 

Dallewal Continues Fast

Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s fast unto death entered the 35th day amid persuasion from senior officials of the Punjab government to stop it. The Supreme Court had asked the Punjab government to ensure that the health of Dallewal should remain intact. It is likely to hear the matter on January 2, 2025.  

The apex court had remarked in its order dated 20th December 20, “It is entirely the responsibility of the State of Punjab to ensure stable health condition of Mr. Jagjit Singh Dallewal, for which if he requires hospitalization, the authorities must ensure to do so. The State Government, therefore, will take a call as to whether Mr. Dallewal can be shifted to the makeshift hospital (temporary hospital, which is said to have been set up at a distance of 700 meters from the site) or to any other well equipped Hospital. A fresh medical report about the stability of the health of Mr. Jagjit Singh Dallewal, along with the necessary steps taken meanwhile to prevent any irreversible damage to his health, shall be filed by the Chief Secretary, Punjab as well as the Chairperson of the Medical Board constituted to monitor the health condition of Mr. Dallewal.”

After Monday’s bandh, Dallewal, in a video message, said he was indebted toward the people of Punjab for their participation in the bandh. “I appeal to the Supreme Court that if Satyagraha style struggles could be muzzled by the brute force of governments, then where will people go for their demands. Crushing of peaceful movements will force people towards violence and it is not good for any country. The demands put forth by protesters are the demands of common workers and farmers and centre should accept them,” he added.

Background

After the conclusion of historic farmers struggle at the borders of Delhi, the Centre, through its Secretary (Farmers Welfare) Sanjay Agarwal had assured the leadership of Samyukta Kisan Morcha t(SKM) hat it would form a committee, including representatives from the Centre and state governments, agricultural scientists and leaders of farmer unions with the mandate to devise methods to implement the MSP. 

The letter dated December 9, 2021 also noted that the Union government in principle agrees to withdraw criminal cases by its agencies for participation in the historic struggle and it will appeal to the state governments too to withdraw the cases. The Centre said it would also hold discussions on the provisions impacting farmers in the Electricity Amendment Act. 

However, the government’s invitation to SKM to the committee on Zero Budget Farming was turned down by its leaders, as they alleged the committee had majority of members who had backed the three repealed farm laws. Further, farmers bodies are enraged over newly introduced National Policy Framework on Agriculture Marketing which they allege is the return of the repealed farm laws in disguise. 

Why MSP is Crucial?

The farmers bodies have maintained that the Commission on Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), the central body responsible for announcing minimum support price for procuring crops from farmers, has been employing wrong methodology for calculating the input costs of seeds, fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides, diesel and harvesting. While CACP has used A2 + FL formula, the farmers has been asking for C2+ 50% for just returns on the produce. A2 covers majors costs such as fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and diesel among other costs and FL implies unpaid family labour. C2 refers to comprehensive costs which also covers rents and forgone interest on land apart from traditional costs.

Meanwhile, SKM leaders refused to meet the Supreme Court appointed committee headed retired judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Nawab Singh. A top source told NewsClick over the phone that the prime objective of the committee appeared to be to convince the farmers to end their agitation at two borders. “We had a meeting in the morning and both the leaders, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Joginder Singh Ugrahan, conceded the fact that meeting the committee will not serve any result. The premise of the committee remains that farmers unions should maintain a distance with political parties and court will resolve the issue in a phased manner. However, we are of the opinion that the agitation revolves around policy formation and apparently Central government will have come forward and find a solution. It is not the judiciary’s job,” the source said.