A grand total of 84 trains were not in operation on the Ambala-Amritsar route on Saturday due to farmers’ demonstration on the railway tracks at the Shambhu station in Punjab’s Patiala district for the fourth day in a row. The protesters are insisting on the three farmers’ release who were arrested by the Haryana Police in relation to the current agitation.
Various trains, such as the New Delhi-Amritsar, Rishikesh to Sri Ganganagar, and Ludhiana to Ambala Cantt routes, were cancelled due to the protest, as stated by authorities.
They stated that 380 trains have been impacted by the protest over the past three days, leading to passenger inconvenience.
The farmers are demonstrating with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) in Shambhu, Patiala district.
Their protest for the release of detained farmers started on Wednesday when they sat on the railroad tracks in Shambhu near the Punjab-Haryana border along the Ambala-Ludhiana-Amritsar route.
The protest led by farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher will persist until the three farmers are freed.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher stated that the protest will not stop until the three farmers are set free.
Why farmers are protesting?
The main issue for the protesting farmers is the absence of a law on MSP and the Union government ignoring their other demands despite multiple requests. The MSP is the rate at which the government commits in writing to buy agricultural products from farmers. MSPs exist for 22 crops, mostly consisting of grains, pulses, oilseeds, paddy, and copra. Research shows that only a limited number of farmers in the nation are able to take advantage of MSPs. Farmers claim that despite the government’s assurance to address their demands during the previous protest, it has been lagging in fulfilling its promises.
The SKM (Non-Political) and the KMM are leading the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march to urge the government to meet their demands, such as ensuring a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
