Punjab: Farmers protest Centre's farm ordinances

Farmers in Punjab blocked several roads including the Amritsar-Delhi national highway and held agitations in different parts of the state on Monday to protest the farm ordinances promulgated by the Centre.

While different farmers' outfits raised slogans against the Centre for bringing the "anti-farmer" ordinances and demanded their rollback, commuters faced inconvenience due to the road blockade as the authorities diverted traffic through other roads.

The farmers are demanding a roll back of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.

Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee blocked the Amritsar-Delhi national highway at the Beas bridge, about 40 km from Amritsar.

They also blocked traffic at the Harike headworks in Tarn Taran and the Tanda-Hargobindpur bridge in Hoshiarpur.

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee president Satnam Singh Pannu said the farm ordinances would "destroy"the farming community and they should be withdrawn.

Farmers under the banner of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee held protests at Patiala, Barnala, Moga, Phagwara and Amritsar.

Addressing a gathering at Patiala, AIKCC (Punjab chapter) president Darshan Pal said angry farmers took to the streets to protest the ordinances brought by the central government.

Pal said farmers would be left to the "mercy" of big corporates if the ordinances were passed.

Many farmers' outfits have been holding protests against the three farm ordinances promulgated by the Centre.

Farmers have expressed apprehension that the three ordinances would pave way for dismantling of the minimum support price system and they would be at the "mercy" of big corporates. They have been demanding a rollback of the three ordinances.

The Congress-led government in the state, which is spearheading a campaign against the ordinances, had described these ordinances as a "blatant attack" on the federal structure.

On August 28, the Punjab Assembly had passed a resolution, rejecting these farm ordinances.

The chief minister had earlier said these ordinances are not only against the interest of farmers and landless workers and time-tested agriculture marketing system established in the state, but are also against the Constitution of India.

Image Credits: PTI