Disruptions Expected as Farmers Hold 4-Hour Protest, Rail Traffic Affected | 10 Key Points

On March 6, farmers who had previously resumed their march towards Delhi will be conducting a nationwide ‘rail roko’ demonstration for four hours on Sunday. This protest, organized by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, aims to continue their efforts in urging the government to address their demands. The scheduled ‘rail roko’ event, which is set to take place from 12pm to 4pm, is a follow-up to the recent ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.

Latest developments in today’s ‘rail roko’ protest by farmers:

1. In approximately 60 locations across Haryana and Punjab, hundreds of farmers are expected to participate in the nationwide ‘rail roko’ protest, which may cause disruptions to train schedules.
2. According to Sarwan Singh Pandher, leader of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, the ‘rail roko’ protest will involve hundreds of farmers sitting on railway tracks in various places in Punjab, including Ferozepur, Amritsar, Rupnagar, and Gurdaspur districts.
3. The ‘rail roko’ agitation will also include participation from the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), Bharti Kisan Union (Dakaunda-Dhaner), and the Krantikari Kisan Union, all of which are part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha.
4. In preparation for the ‘rail roko’ protest, security has been heightened at all borders.
5. To prevent major disruptions, the authorities in Haryana have imposed Section 144 in Ambala district on Sunday. The police have also been stationed in tense areas within the state.
6. Today, the ‘rail roko’ protest is expected to impact train schedules for both inter-city and state trains. Last month, trains on the Delhi-Amritsar route were delayed due to farmers staging a sit-in protest on the tracks.
7. Farm leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who called for the ‘Rail Roko’ protest, have stated that the farmers will continue their agitation at the current protest sites until their demands are met by the government.
8. Dallewal has urged the government to fulfill its responsibility and provide a legal guarantee for MSP on all crops. He also emphasized that the government must not shy away from this responsibility and pass a law on MSP to protect the country’s farmers.
9. Additionally, Dallewal has called for all panchayats in Punjab to pass a resolution in support of the farmers’ demands. He also accused the government of using various tactics to stop the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
10. The farmers’ protest began on February 13 with the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, organized by over 200 farmers’ unions including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, to put pressure on the government to meet their demands.

What is the reason behind the farmers’ protest?

In 2021, the protesting farmers had agreed to end their agitation against the now-repealed farm laws on the condition of a minimum support price (MSP) law. Currently, they are pushing for various demands including the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s suggestions, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, forgiveness of farm debts, withdrawal of police cases, justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act – 2013, and compensation for families of farmers who lost their lives during a previous protest in 2020-21.