Farmers protest against arrest of leaders, seize toll plazas

Amritsar, August 21

After the pre-emptive raid by the police late last night in which nearly 85 leaders were arrested allegedly to torpedo the farmers protest against the government in Chandigarh today, the farmers seized four toll plazas in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts on Monday.

The farmers stopped collection of user fee from commuters at Kathunangal and Mannawala toll plazas in Amritsar district and Usma and Mannan toll plazas in Tarn Taran district to protest against the government.

Leaders associated with the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee said many prominent farmer leaders were arrested by the police late last night in an attempt by the government to stop farmers from participating in the protest.

Tarn Taran Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee district president Satnam Singh Manochahl said, “While most leaders, including general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, have been arrested, a few managed to dodge the raiding police parties.”

He said those arrested include Savinder Singh Chutala, Ranjodh Singh Gagobua, Tarsem Singh Dhaliwal and Mukhtiar Singh Biharipur. The police detained farmer body state president Sukhwinder Singh Sabra inside his house.

Amritsar Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee president Gurbachan Singh Chabba said the protests at toll plazas would continue till their leaders were released.

“The state government is using unfair means to gag all voices of dissent. In all, 16 unions have announced a tractor march to Chandigarh to protest against the state and Centre governments for their failure to tackle floods and help people,” he said, while adding that the recent floods in Punjab were a more of government failure and a less of natural calamity.

Chabba said nine farmer unions from Punjab, three from Haryana and one each from Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand had given the call for tractor march to get relief for farmers affected by the floods.