Farmers’ protest against Modi government in India has turned into rail blockade movement.
The government of Narendra Modi, the so-called pioneer of democracy, is busy crushing its own farming community. The ongoing struggle of farmers in the Indian states of Haryana and Punjab for their rights has intensified again.
After the failure of negotiations between the farmers’ union and the government, the Delhi Chalo movement has now turned into a rail blockade movement.
Farmers staged rail blockade protests at 74 different places in Punjab. The 3-hour protest led to the cancellation of 3 trains in Punjab and the rescheduling of 39 trains. Farmers stopped train traffic by sitting on the tracks in Ferozepur and Ambala divisions. The protest at Shanbhu station affected the service of trains coming from Haryana.
Since February 1, more than 30 farmers have died due to various reasons on the Shanbhu and Khanwari borders. Two farmers have committed suicide at the protest site, while several farmers have been seriously injured due to police shelling and indiscriminate lathicharge on the farmer protesters.
Farmers’ unions have demanded Rs 25 lakh as compensation, job and loan waiver for the family of Ranjud Singh, who committed suicide. Punjab has announced a bandh on December 30 if the demands are not met. The Delhi Chalo March and the Rail Roko movement have become symbols of farmers’ resistance against injustice.
