Punjab, Haryana farmers & trade unions support nationwide strike against Indo-US trade deal

Jind: As part of the nationwide strike, farmers across Punjab and Haryana protested against the India–US trade agreement, demanding its cancellation and warning of a mass movement if their concerns were ignored.In Jind, farmers staged a protest near the old bus stand on Thursday and burned copies of the agreement. Organisers claimed the strike — joined by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), trade unions, newly formed organisations, and bank employees — was a "100% success".
BKU state president Joginder Nain said farmers would not accept the Indo–US trade deal at any cost. He said farmers would fight against the agreement on the ground and would ultimately achieve victory. He alleged that the Prime Minister acted out of fear and pressure from the United States and implemented decisions that would harm the people of India. Opening India's agricultural markets at zero tariff, he said, would destroy farmers.Extending its open support to the strike, several local Congress leaders and workers participated in the demonstration, led by district Congress president Rishipal Haibatpur.While addressing the gathering, Haibatpur accused the central govt of adopting anti-farmer and anti-worker policies. He alleged that recent amendments to laws pushed farmers and labourers to the brink of ruin. "The Narendra Modi-led govt has directly attacked the interests of farmers and workers. Rising inflation, unemployment, and changes in labour laws tend to break the backbone of the common man," he said."Our struggle will not be limited to protests alone. From the streets to Parliament, we will strongly fight for the rights of farmers, workers, and the underprivileged sections of the society," he asserted.Called by a joint platform of central trade unions and federations, with support from the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and farm and labour organisations, the all-India general strike partially affected banking, insurance, postal, electricity and transport services in Punjab where protests were held at various places.‘Deal will eliminate jobs'In Barnala, a protest was held at labour chowk near the bus stand where speakers slammed the central govt for coming out with VB GRAMG to replace the MGNREGA, further alleging that Electricity Bill, Seeds Bill, Labour Codes were "anti-people". On India's trade deal with the USA, they said this deal would further eliminate jobs and push small farmers out of the farming.The protesters alleged that the BJP-led govt is pursuing privitisation policies to help out multinational firms and local corporates, but this move is snatching livelihood from crores of people in the country. These policies are also against the promises of providing crores of jobs every year, they said.The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party also extened their support to the strike, sharpening the political battle over labour and agrarian reforms. Throwing their weight behind the protest, both the political parties condemned the Union govt's policies and economic decisions.Power employees extend support The chairperson of the All India Power Engineers Federation, Shailendra Dubey, said power employees and engineers from across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana boycotted work and held protest rallies in Chandigarh. In Punjab, a pen-down strike was organised by various employees unions and powercom engineers, said Ajaypal Sigh Atwal, general secretary, PSEB Engineers Association. MSID:: 128259414 413 |