Farmers In Punjab Go On A New Protest; This Time For Compensation For Crops, Land

Around 400 farmers staged a unique protest on Sunday (2 April by taking off their shirts or kurtas at Punjab's Batala railway station and sitting on the tracks, affecting the Amritsar-Pathankot route's passenger and goods traffic.

Protesters were demonstrating over against inadequate land compensation for the Delhi-Katra expressway and non-payment of sugarcane arrears, among other issues.

They also asked the state government to give a compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for 100 per cent loss of crops due to recent hailstorms and 50 per cent compensation for farm labourers.

After receiving information about the protest, SSP Ashwini Gotyal reportedly called a meeting with police officers and farmers led by Sarwan Singh Pandher.

However, they refused to end their protest despite her efforts.

The SSP sent SP Gurpreet Singh to negotiate with the adamant farmers who refused to back down.

Discussions between the police and protesters lasted all day, but no progress was made.

According to a farmer leader, blocking rail traffic was their last resort as the state government had not responded to their previous forms of protest.

"We have exhausted all other forms of protest. This is the only way by which the government may lend an era to our demands,” the farmer leader was quoted as saying by The Tribune.

However, farmers frequently blocking national highways and railway tracks has been criticised by residents.

Batala railway station sees 24 trains passing through every day, according to sources cited in the Tribune report.

An official reportedly noted that commuters, including those on long-distance journeys, were confused and anxious about when the ongoing protest would end and train services would resume.