The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), along with the Jammu and Kashmir Apple Farmer’s Federation, held a peaceful protest at Press Enclave Lal Chowk Srinagar in support of their demands.
Some of the demands raised by the protestors include the issue of electricity shortages, the minimum support price (MSP) for farmers, the implementation of insurance schemes for farmers and anti-people and anti-worker policies of the government.
One of the protestors, while speaking to ANI, said, “The medicines are not good, the manure is not good either and they are overpriced as well. If agriculture and horticulture are good in the country, then everything else will also be good because every single citizen of the country is a consumer of agricultural and horticultural products.”
“Our demands are regarding the apples that are coming from Iran and Afghanistan, which affect Jammu and Kashmir, and the lack of medicines and manure,” he added.
Similarly, Samyukt Kisan Morch, during the day, launched a three-day protest at the Chandigargh-Mohali border over the pending demands of farmers.
Some of the demands being raised by SKM through these protests include a guarantee for MSP (Minimum Support Price) from the central government, withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the year-long agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, waiver of debt, pension for farmers, etc.
On the march to Chandigarh Raj Bhavan, the protestor said, “As of now, this is a three-day protest, and further decisions will depend upon the kind of response we receive from the government.”
Samyukt Kisan Morcha is an umbrella organisation comprising farmer unions from Punjab and other states.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Amandeep Brarar told ANI, “All the arrangements have been made by the police administration. We knew that for three days, farmers would sit on the Mohali-Chandigarh border. Considering this, the Mohali police, along with the Chandigarh administration, have deployed security here along with water cannons and a fire brigade.”
“We are ready with multi-layered security. Arrangements have been made to ensure that common people don’t face any kind of hassle during these 3 days,” he added. (ANI)
