Amritsar (Punjab): The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) held a bike rally on Monday against the Punjab Land Pooling Policy, urging public support for their cause.
They protested against the Land Pooling Policy, which defines the terms for compensation of agricultural land acquisition in the state.
Farmers’ leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that following the bike rally, they will hold a Mahapanchayat in Jalandhar.
Pandher told ANI, “Punjabis should come together and support us in our protest against the government. After today’s motorcycle march, all unions will hold a Mahapanchayat in Kukar village, Jalandhar. We have also written to SKM (Samyukt Kisan Morcha), and there will be a big movement to force the government to take back the policy. Today’s motorcycle march will uproot the government.”
He added that their campaign is revealing the government’s true face behind the policy.
“A perception war is going on. The government is saying the policy is good, but we are going to the public to reveal the government’s true face. In the next phase, we are not denying the possibility of a protest at the borders,” he said.’
Further, Pandher said that KMSC is also supporting the electricity department employees’ strike against the privatisation.
The farmers’ leader said, “Employees of the electricity department are on strike against the privatisation, and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha also supports that. Everyone demands electricity, be it people in urban areas, rural, a shopkeeper or a student. If the electricity gets costly, the poor would not be able to pay the bills.”
On August 7, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted an interim stay on the Punjab land pooling policy.
Meanwhile, the BJP will hold protests against the policy from August 17 to September 1.
Punjab BJP vice president Fatehjung Singh Bajwa told ANI, “The state government’s land pooling policy in Punjab is not in the interest of the farmers, especially small farmers and land labourers… Our party will hold protests from 17 August to 1 September wherever the state government is acquiring land in Punjab. We will also tell the people there how this policy of the Punjab government is going to cheat Punjab.” (ANI)
