Agricultural law protest: Farmers to reach Delhi on November 26; more trains cancelled

Farmer unions warned the state governments that any effort to stop them en route to Delhi would result in blockades as they are arriving prepared with four months of rations.  
Farmers raise slogans as they block train tracks with tractors on the twentieth day of their ongoing 'Rail Roko' protest over recent farm reform bills. (Photo | PTI)
Farmers raise slogans as they block train tracks with tractors on the twentieth day of their ongoing 'Rail Roko' protest over recent farm reform bills. (Photo | PTI)

CHANDIGARH: Hundreds of farmers, especially from Punjab, will converge in Delhi for a show of strength on November 26 to send their message across to the Centre regarding the central agrarian laws.

As talks with the Union ministers on the three contentious farm acts remained inconclusive, farmer unions warned the state governments that any effort to stop them en route to Delhi would result in blockades as they are arriving prepared with four months of rations.  

Radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa has also extended its full support to the ‘Delhi Chalo’ call given by farmer organizations to protest against the contentious farm laws. 

Meanwhile, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh is set to hold talks with the representatives of farmers unions on Saturday and present their views to PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

In a meeting attended by All India Kisan Mahasangh, All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, and a forum led by BS Rajewal and Gurnam Singh Chanduni, the farmer unions decided that they would drive tractor-trolleys to reach Delhi using Grand Trunk Road, Agra-Delhi, Jaipur-Delhi, Rohtak-Hisar-Delhi and Bareilly-Delhi highways. 

“We will travel by five national highways. If Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (governments) or any agency tries to stop us on the way, we will sit on the highway and carry out our protests. From each village of Punjab, 11 tractor-trolleys will be driven to Delhi. It is the fight to the end as the Centre has to withdraw the three central farm laws,’’ said Omkar Singh of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal Group).

These decisions were taken on Thursday evening at a meeting of 11-member coordination panel followed by another involving a seven-member core committee set up for coordination at the national level.

“The movement has now reached a decisive phase. Farmers owing allegiance to more than 500 organizations will be reaching Delhi under Delhi Chalo call,’’ said Dr Darshan Pal of the Joint Kisan Morcha said. 

Meanwhile, the Railways has cancelled 12 festival special trains due to the farmers' agitation in Punjab while route of a train was diverted.

North Western Railway chief public relations officer Sunil Beniwal said pairs of trains on Jammu Tawi-Ajmer, Barmer-Rishikesh, Bathinda-Delhi, Sri Ganganagar-Delhi, Ajmer-Amritsar biweekly and Bandra terminus-Jammu Tawi weekly had been cancelled for different time periods.

He said the Dibrugarh-Lalgarh train service, which departed on Thursday, would run the converted route via Rohtak-Bhiwani-Hisar-Sadulpur-Hanumangarh.

(With PTI Inputs)

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