It’s milkmen vs farmers: ‘Don’t force protest on us’
AT LOGGERHEADS Those carrying milk to cities scuffle with farmer in Bathinda, Sangrur; dairy owners protest vigil, setting up of nakas
BATHINDA/SANGRUR/JALANDHAR/ AMRITSAR:SCUFFLES between milkmen and farmer union activists took place at many places in the state on Sunday after the former were stooped from carrying milk to cities on the third day of the nationwide ‘Pind Bandh’ (village blockade) beginning June 1.
Milkmen and dairy owners protested the farmer unions’ move to set up check-points on routes to the cities and holding of night vigils. While the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU Ekta Sidhupur) has supported the strike call by farmers under the banner of the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, a federation of 130 farmer organisations, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) has opposed the call.
Near Bibiwala village of Bathinda district, tension prevailed when milkmen from the nearby villages coming to Bathinda city to supply milk were stopped on Sunday morning by activists of BKU (Ekta Sidhupur). Police reached the spot and the milkmen had to take another route to reach the city. The two groups entered into a scuffle. Similar scenes were witnessed at Rampura Phul and on the Bathinda-muktsar road where milkmen raised slogans against them.
In Sangrur district, farmers had set up nakas and stopped vegetable growers and dairy owners from carrying their produce to the city areas on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Dairy owners dumped milk on the roads at Bhawanigarh, alleging that farmer unions were harassing them and milkmen.
Sohan Singh, the state president of the Milkmen Union, said that they had told the farmer unions before the start of the strike that any milkmen who
want to support them are free do so by not supplying milk to the city areas but no milkman should be forced to stop the supply.
MAJHA UNAFFECTED
In Majha belt, the plan to suspend the supplies of vegetables and milk failed to elicit much response as essential commodities were available in the market as usual. The Kisan Sangarsh Committee has refused to support
the protest.
VEGGIE PRICES CONTINUE TO SOAR
Prices of various vegetables have doubled or trebled since the strike started two days back.
Tomato, which was being sold at ₹10 per kg three days ago, is now ₹30 per kg while prices of peas, brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower and other vegetables have also gone up.
SOME SELLING PRODUCE CLANDESTINELY
Some farmers, who cannot afford to dump their produce, are selling milk and vegetables, directly to the vendors clandestinely.
“A small farmer like me, who has got land on a lease, cannot afford participate in such a protest as our households run on our daily sale of produce,” Titu, a farmer from Jalandhar, said. The new wholesale vegetable market in Jalandhar remained close on Sunday while it was as usual at the old vegetable market.
At Phagwara, a group of farmers laid siege outside the local vegetable market and did not allow trucks or tractor-trolleys carry farm produce to enter inside. A day after a group of farmers at the new vegetable market by forced commission agents to shut shops and stopped them from selling their stock of vegetables and fruits, police force was deployed.
SMALL FARMER SAY THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO PARTICIPATE IN STIR AS THEIR HOUSEHOLDS RUN ON DAILY SALE