Protesters burn govt’s effigy, intensify stir

PATIALA: Intensifying their fiveday protest that rejected the state government’s farm loan waiver scheme that completed its fourth day on Thursday, farmers — under the banner of seven unions — burnt the effigy of state government at Mehmudpur village on Pa ti ala-San gr ur road, 10km away from the city, on Monday. The farmers have claimed that the loan waiver benefits only a minority among them.

The other demands of farmers include fixing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops as a report by a panel that senior agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan headed. Ownership rights to tenant cultivators, a permanent solution to the stray cattle menace and an alternative to wheat and paddy stubble burning are other demands.

SECURITY BEEFED UP

With Tuesday the last day of protest and more farmers from the organisations—BKU(Ekta Ugarahan), BKU (Dakaunda), Kirti Kisan Union, Krantikari Kisan Union, BKU (Krantikari), Kisan Sangharsh Committee (Azad), and Kisan Sangharsh Committee (Pannu) — expected to reach the protest site, a company of para-military force was deployed on check-posts on roads leading to Patiala city.

Shingara Singh Mann of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugarahan), said, “We will continue fighting for our rights. We will not allow anyone to stop burning paddy stubble till government provides monetary assistance of ₹200 per quintal for managing paddy stubble.”