Protested outside DC complex for months, shifted to roads as we were not heard: unions
Bohr Singh, president, Fardikot unit of SKM, said, “CM is saying to protest outside DC office or outside the house of MLAs. The CM needs to know that we farmers had been sitting outside DC offices for months before shifting to roads. Why were we not heard?”
On a day Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann slammed the farmers’ unions for staging protests by blocking highways in Punjab, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (apolitical) Friday stated that they had been sitting outside DC complexes for months before shifting to roads.
Mann said blocking roads by holding sit-ins had become a “trend” and appealed to the farmers’ bodies to stage sit-ins, if they had to, near the houses of ministers and legislators or the deputy commissioner’s office, but “do not disturb the common people” by blocking the highways and other roads.
Bohr Singh, president, Fardikot unit of SKM, said, “CM is saying to protest outside DC office or outside the house of MLAs. The CM needs to know that we farmers had been sitting outside DC offices for months before shifting to roads. Why were we not heard?”
He said the farmer unions stared blocking NH-54 in in Faridkot, Mansa- Barnala road in Mansa, Kathunangal till plaza in Amritsar, and Talwandi Sabo- Sardulgarh Road in Talwandi Sabo “from November 16 onwards when we went unheard for months”.
In Faridkot, farmers had been sitting outside DC office for more than four months seeking compensation and jobs for farmers who died during farm agitation. In Mansa, they had been protesting outside the DC office for more than three months to seek compensation for cotton crop damaged in pink bollworm attack. In Talwandi Sabo, a dharna was launched four months ago outside Guru Kashi University over the issue of validity of the degrees issued by it. In Amritsar, the dharna is over discrepancies in compensation being given to farmers under Bharatmala project. The dharna outside Amritsar DC office went on for four months. “When we were not heard, we shifted to roads. CM needs to answer this before accusing us,” Bohr Singh added.
The labour unions Friday launched an indefinite dharna outside the residence of Lehragaga MLA Barinder Goyal. They are demanding compensation for the family of an 18-year-old labourer Gurpreet Singh who was killed when the roof of under construction commercial building collapsed on November 11. Lacchman Singh Sewewala, general secretary, Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, said, “The building was being constructed in Salemgarh village where the roof collapsed and one worker died and five were injured. They are undergoing treatment in hospitals by spending money from their own pockets. The building in question is of a retired police official. We had been sitting outside Moonak Tehsil complex for the past five days, but as nothing happened, we had no choice but to shift dharna outside MLA’s residence. Now, if the road outside his house has been blocked, we are helpless”.