Phagwara: The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba) has decided to step up its ongoing agitation over pending sugarcane dues and participate in upcoming protests organized by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Quomi Insaaf Morcha (QIM). The decisions were taken during a meeting held at Gurdwara Sukhchaina Sahib in Phagwara, chaired by BKU (Doaba) president Manjit Singh Rai, reports The Tribune.
As part of its expanded protest campaign, BKU (Doaba) will join the KMM-led demonstration at Panjab University, Chandigarh, on November 10. The protest is being held in response to the Central GovernmentтАЩs recent move to dissolve the Panjab University Senate, a decision the unions have described as an attack on the autonomy and independence of PunjabтАЩs universities.
Protesters will gather at Amb Sahib Gurdwara in Mohali at 10 a.m. before marching to the university. Manjit Singh Rai will lead a group of 25тАУ30 activists traveling in five to six vehicles to participate in the demonstration.
The union has also pledged its support for the November 14 protest called by the Quomi Insaaf Morcha, which seeks the release of Bandhi Sikhs. Following directions from senior KMM leadership, BKU (Doaba) members will assemble at the Shambhu Border and march along with other KMM affiliates to the protest site.
During the Phagwara meeting, a major part of the discussion focused on the persistent issue of sugarcane arrears. The union expressed strong dissatisfaction with the AAP-led Punjab Government for its alleged inaction against defaulting sugar mills. BKU (Doaba) leaders claimed that government-supported sugar mills still owe farmers around тВ╣93 crore, while Golden Sandhar Sugar Mill Ltd. in Phagwara has pending payments of about тВ╣27 crore from the 2021тАУ22 crushing season. Despite repeated appeals and memorandums, the dues remain unpaid, the union said.
The union also criticized stagnant sugarcane prices and demanded that the Punjab Government fix the minimum rate at тВ╣500 per quintal to ensure fair compensation for farmers. It warned that if the arrears are not cleared and the rates not revised, a statewide protest will be launched in coordination with KMM affiliates.
To finalize the next phase of its agitation, BKU (Doaba) has scheduled another meeting of its leaders and members on November 16, 2025, to chart out the detailed roadmap and timeline for future actions.
