Farmers Begin 3-Hour 'Rail Roko' Protest, Block Tracks In Punjab's Shambhu
Farmers protesting along Punjab's borders have rejected talks with a Supreme Court-appointed committee and launched a three-hour rail blockade from noon to 3 PM today.
Farmers have started the rail roko along the Shambhu border. The three-hour protest will continue from noon to 3 PM. The protesting farmers intend to stop trains across Punjab.
Earlier farmers' groups protesting along the Shambhu and Khanauri borders rejected an offer to hold talks with the Supreme Court-appointed committee on Wednesday, December 18. On Tuesday night, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an apolitical umbrella body of farmers, and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha sent a letter to the committee's chairman, retired Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Nawab Singh on the matter.
In the letter, they stated that they would engage in discussions only with representatives of the central government, as they believe such committees are merely symbolic and ineffective. The farmers acknowledged the respect they hold for the Supreme Court-appointed committee and mentioned that they had met with the committee on November 4. According to the letter, the committee had invited them for a meeting in Panchkula on Wednesday.
The farmers further pointed out in their letter that the committee was formed by the Supreme Court to restore trust between the farmers and the government. However, the committee has not made any substantial efforts toward achieving this goal or facilitating meaningful negotiations with the central government to address the farmers' legitimate demands.
The letter expressed the farmers' long-standing suspicion that such committees are created only as formalities. Despite this, they respected the committee's formation and met with it on November 4. However, they noted their disappointment that the committee had not yet visited the protest sites at Khanauri or Shambhu, despite the seriousness of the situation. The letter added that the committee's delayed response to the crisis was disheartening. Consequently, both farmer groups have decided not to participate in further meetings with the committee and will instead engage in discussions exclusively with the central government.
Supreme Court Hearing On Farmers' Protest
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is set to hear a plea on Wednesday regarding the reopening of the Shambhu border. During the last hearing on December 13, the court declined to issue an immediate order to reopen the border. Instead, it directed the committee to engage with the farmers, urging them to consider suspending their protest or shifting their demonstration slightly to allow the highway to reopen. The committee is expected to submit a report on the matter to the court.
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