Why are farmers protesting in Punjab again?

Farmers in Punjab have hit the streets yet again. Thousands of policemen have been deployed as 16 farmer unions including Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Karanti kari), BKU (Ekta Azaad), Aazaad Kisan Committee, Doaba, BKU (Behramke) and Bhoomi Bachao Mohim have called for a protest today. Police said several farmer leaders have been “detained" in different parts of the state, including Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran. The development comes a day after a man died after being run over by a tractor-trolley and at least five policemen were injured in a clash with farmers in Sangrur district. But why are the farmers protesting? And what’s happening on the ground?  Let’s take a closer look:  As per The Week, the farmers are asking for a relief package from the Centre worth Rs 50,000 crore as compensation for the damage caused by the floods. They are also asking that a person whose home was damaged by the floods be given Rs 5 lakh and that the family of a person who died in the floods be given Rs 10 lakh as compensation. As per Hindustan Times, the Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Sunday met with 11 farmer union representatives.

Purohit told the representatives he would forward their demands to the Union government.

Officials said security has been increased at the inter-state borders of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Tuesday. In Chandigarh, security personnel have been deployed at all entry and exit points to prevent farmers from entering. A heavy deployment of force has also been made at Shambhu in Ambala located on the Haryana-Punjab border, they said. In Punjab’s Rajpura, barricades have been put up while anti-riot vehicles and a CCTV vehicle have also been deployed. .According to _The Times of India, o_ver 100 farmer leaders have been taken into preventative custody on Tuesday. Ropar range SSP Sandeep Garg told the newspaper, “Special eye is being kept on those undertrials bailed out recently and active farmers supporters. Highway domination exercises are being held to check the movement of farmer leaders. All vehicles entering, exiting, and passing through main roads like airport road are being checked. We have around 2,000 cops manning the roads from Monday evening.” Representatives of 16 farmer bodies on Sunday had held a meeting with senior officials of Chandigarh and Punjab Police in Chandigarh over their protest. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema condemned the police action against farmer leaders, calling it “undemocratic.” Cheema said the state government has “miserably failed” to provide relief to the affected farmers and farm labourers. [caption id=“attachment_13014472” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. PTI file[/caption] “Their condition is worsening day-by-day. At most places they have suffered twice but government has not paid compensation even for the first loss. There is no immediate help for those who had to leave their houses and are sitting in the open. “But in spite of all this if they want to protest peacefully to highlight their sufferings, they have been arrested. This is inhumane. All of them should be released immediately,” said Cheema on ‘X’. “At most places they have suffered twice but govt has not paid compensation even for the first loss. There is no immediate help for those who had to leave their houses and are sitting in open. All their household is washed away. No help is coming for the cattle. But inspite of all this if they want to protest peacefully to highlight their sufferings, they have been arrested. This is inhumane. All of them should be released immediately," the SAD leader added. Farmers clash with cops, man run over by tractor trolley dies Farmers on Monday clashed with police in Sangrur district over the “detention” of some farm leaders. Some policemen and farmers were hurt in the clash that ensued when the police personnel tried to stop them from moving ahead to block a road and a toll plaza in the district under the banner of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Azaad), officials said. Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Surendra Lamba said the protesting farmers on tractor-trolleys and buses forced their way through barricades put up by the police. He also said some protesters even turned violent and hit the policemen with sticks, injuring two of them, including an inspector. Police said one of the farmers also suffered severe injuries after coming under a bus belonging to the protesters. The injured were admitted to a hospital, they said.

The Week quoted police as saying that an FIR was lodged against 53 farmers over violence and on attempt to murder charges.

On Monday, the protesting farmers claimed that several of their leaders, including Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) president Sarwan Singh Pandher, Satkar Singh Kotli of KMSC, Bohr Singh of the BKU (Behramke), were detained by police ahead of the demonstration. A man died after being run over by a tractor-trolley and at least five policemen were injured as farmers clashed with them in Sangrur district Monday over the “detention” of some farm leaders. The victim was a farmer apparently taking part in the protest in the district’s Longowal area, where police were trying to stop protesters from blocking a national highway and a toll plaza, officials said. Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Surendra Lamba said the members of the farmer union wanted to block the Sangrur-Barnala national highway and also the Badbar toll plaza but police refused to let them. The farmers, however, forced their way through barricades using tractor-trolleys and buses, he said, adding some people drove their tractors into the barricades. An inspector escaped being crushed under a tractor-trolley but was severely injured, police said, adding that another policeman sustained injuries to his face and three more were hurt as well. The officials said a farmer identified as Pritam Singh came under a tractor-trolley belonging to one of the protesters and sustained severe injuries. He later died during treatment, they added. A video purportedly showing the elderly farmer coming under the rear tyres of the trolley surfaced on social media. Some farmers could be seen asking the vehicle’s driver to stop but he did not. Police said the incident took place because of the irresponsible behaviour of a few tractor and bus drivers during the protest. The SSP said some protesters hit policemen with their sticks as the protest turned violent. He added that said the situation was now peaceful and police used the highest level of restraint. Early in the day, farmers claimed that several of their leaders, including Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) president Sarwan Singh Pandher, Satkar Singh Kotli of the KMSC, Bohr Singh of the BKU (Behramke), had been “detained” by the Punjab Police. A farmer leader in Tarn Taran district said police allegedly conducted raids at the residences of farm leaders and detained them. Farmers had said they wanted to hold a protest on the parade ground in Sector 17 of Chandigarh but the UT administration wanted them to demonstrate at a designated place in Sector 25. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal slammed the AAP government for the death of the farmer in Sangrur. [caption id=“attachment_13026332” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.[/caption] “Horrendous broad daylight murder of a beleaguered and peacefully protesting farmer Pritam Singh at Longowal (in CM’s home district Sangrur) has sent shock waves throughout the state especially among the farmers. A murder case should be registered against the Chief Minister @BhagwantMann as it was done on his orders. The senior police officers, who executed this, should also be booked,” Badal said on ‘X’. Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa condemned the police action against farmer leaders in different parts of the state. “The @AAPPunjab govt in Punjab has unleashed its draconian agendas. Several farmers’ union leaders have been arrested and raids are still going on to arrest some other farmer leader,” he tweeted. Meanwhile, farmer leaders from Haryana too claimed that some people associated with the Bharatiya Kisan Union have been detained by the police. The Haryana Police has detained BKU leader Amarjit Singh Mohari and some others in Ambala, they claimed, adding that Sandeep Singh has been detained in Kurukshetra. The Ambala Police deployed personnel along the Haryana-Punjab border to maintain law and order in the area. “The farmers are all set to protest in Chandigarh on August 22 seeking compensation for the flood-hit farmers. Instead of complying with the genuine demands of the farmers, the so-called Badlav govt has adopted this harsh stance. The lies of the Punjab CM @BhagwantMann about providing relief to the farmers have been exposed,” Bajwa said on ‘X’ With inputs from agencies