Several trains cancelled, delayed as farmers protest on rail tracks

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, March 10

Farmers blocked rail tracks at eight different places in the district as part of the protest against the Central Government to seek minimum support price (MSP) for crops on Sunday. The protest caused huge inconvenience to commuters as many trains were either cancelled, delayed or short terminated.

Farmers staged protest on rail tracks from 12 pm to 4 pm as a result of which nine trains were cancelled, eight were short terminated and at least 16 were delayed. The rail blockade delayed departure of Amritsar-Gorakhpur-Jansadaran train by three hours and 15 minutes, Shaheed Express by three hours and 10 minutes, Jallianwala Bagh Express by three hours and five minutes, Amritsar-Nangal Dam Express by two hours and 45 minutes and Delhi-Pathankot Superfast Express by three hours and two minutes.

The protest also delayed arrival of several trains at the Amritsar railway station. The arrival of Kiratpur-Amritsar Express was delayed by five hours, Swarna Shatabdi by three hours and 56 minutes, Lal Kuan-Amritsar Express by three hours, Ravi Express by one hour and 47 minutes, Delhi-Pathankot Superfast Express by three hours and 22 minutes, Nagpur-Amritsar Express by 36 minutes, Durgiana Express by two hours and 20 minutes, Jansewa Express by three hours and 12 minutes and Mumbai-Amritsar Express by five hours.

Addressing farmers protesting at the Devidaspura railway crossing, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “The government is forcing farmers to stage protests as it has failed to fulfil its promises. The agrarian state of Punjab is facing an acute economic crisis. A legal guarantee for the MSP is the only way to stop exploitation of farmers.”

Pandher said though the Central Government had announced MSP of 23 crops, in Punjab it was available for only two crops that included paddy and wheat. He said, “Now the government says that it is ready to give the MSP for five crops. But in the absence of any legal guarantee, it is not possible to ensure that farmers will get the MSP.”

Farmer leaders also said that the government had failed to check exploitation of farmers by pesticide companies, private traders and corporate houses.

Meanwhile, in Tarn Taran activists of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, on a joint call of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non political) blocked trains for four hours in the district on Sunday. Satnam Singh Pannu, leader of the farmer unions, said farmers and labourers staged dharnas on rail tracks in Tarn Taran, Khadoor Sahib and at Patti in the district. He said women folk in large numbers participated in the “rail roko” agitation.

Harpreet Singh Sidhwan, Salwinder Singh, Dhanna Singh, Lalu Ghuman, Devinder Kaur, Manjit Kaur and other leaders addressed protesters. They stressed on the acceptance of demands of farmers. The leaders condemned the Union Government for its indifferent attitude towards farmers’ agitation and for not accepting their genuine demands.

Passengers, particularly devotees, faced inconvenience, as they could not attend Amavasya Mela in Tarn Taran on time.