Punjab farmers' protest on Thursday entered the third day and as warned by farmer unions, the protestors sat down on railway tracks forcing the authorities to close the railway route for the time being. Since Tuesday, farmers have been blocking the Jalandhar-Ludhiana National Highway which is among the major connecting points of multiple cities in Punjab. The Jalandhar-Ludhiana National Highway is also the route for people coming from Delhi and heading to Amritsar or Jammu.
Despite CM Mann appealing to the farmers to not make trouble for the common people, the protestors are continuing their protest. In fact, farmer union leaders have clearly stated that until their demands are not met they will continue to hold their protest.
Earlier on Wednesday, a meeting of farmers with the government representatives was to be held in Chandigarh, which could not be held. Angered by this, the farmers announced that the protest will continue until the government accept their demand to increase the sugarcane rates. While farmers continue to sit on railway tracks escalating farmers' protest, they have now given an ultimatum that they will march to Chandigarh on 26th November if demands are not met.
What are the farmers demanding?
Farmers under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara section of the Jalandhar-New Delhi National Highway near Dhanowali village for an indefinite period. Not only this, the farmer leaders have given an ultimatum that if their demands are not met by Wednesday evening they will start 'Rail Roko Andolan' that will disrupt Railway services.
As per reports, the protesting farmers put up a tent in the middle of the road and spent the night on the highway demanding an increase in the assured prices of sugarcane from Rs 380 per quintal to Rs 450 per quintal.