Farmers intensify Chandigarh border protest, seek MSP guarantee, water pact cancellation

Chandigarh: Farmers continued their protest at the Chandigarh border on Thursday, the third day of a week-long sit-in organised by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha over their pending demands.

A large number of farmers from Punjab have gathered at the Chandigarh border for the protest, which is being held from September 1 to September 7.

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The protesting farmers said there has been no response or statement from the government so far on their demands.

Earlier, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) senior leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal said a coalition of 32 farmer organisations had decided to intensify the agitation over issues including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and cancellation of decades-old water agreements.

"We, a coalition of 32 farmer organisations, have made this decision because we have been raising these demands for a long time. We have submitted memoranda to the Governor, the CM, the SDM, and the DC; we have submitted them to many authorities. It has been four and a half years, yet no one is listening to us, and our demands remain unmet," Lakhowal said.

On the water issue, Lakhowal demanded that the Punjab government convene a special session of the state Assembly and seek cancellation of previous water agreements.

"We want them to oppose this in the Legislative Assembly by convening a special session. They should demand the cancellation of past water agreements; after all, 25 years have passed," he said.

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Lakhowal also said the farmer unions were prepared for a nationwide protest against the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

"Regarding the Free Trade Agreement, which was announced some time ago, we are prepared to protest against it nationwide. Protests are already taking place everywhere," he said.

The farmer leader said the unions were seeking a legal guarantee for MSP on 22 crops, a proper crop insurance scheme and loan waivers for farmers.

"The Central government's MSP (Minimum Support Price) for 22 crops; we are demanding a legal guarantee for it. Secondly, regarding loans, if corporate debts amounting to lakhs of crores can be waived, why can't ours be? We are demanding the implementation of a proper crop insurance scheme," Lakhowal said.