Major farmer and labour unions in Punjab are gearing up for large-scale demonstrations on January 16, following a crucial state-level preparatory meeting held in Barnala on Friday. The call for protest was issued by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), and key organisations like the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU) are leading the mobilisation efforts.
Barnala Meeting Sets Stage for Widespread Agitation
The preparatory meeting, which took place in Barnala, saw leaders from both the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) and the PKMU instructing their cadre to ensure massive gatherings at deputy commissioner offices across all districts of Punjab. The primary aim is to vocally oppose a series of recent decisions and proposed legislations by the central government.
Activists associated with the SKM are currently touring villages to rally public support against these initiatives. The protest agenda is focused on four key areas: the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM G), the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, the Seeds Bill, and the new labour codes.
Leaders Accuse Govt of Favoring Corporates Over Poor
At the Barnala meeting, BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan and PKMU general secretary Lachman Sewewala launched a sharp critique of the central government's policies. They alleged that the government is attempting to crush poor workers and farmers while showing undue favour to corporate interests.
A central point of their criticism is the proposed VB G RAM G Act, which they claim is designed to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The leaders argued that this move would severely undermine job security and livelihood guarantees for rural workers.
The union leaders did not spare the state government either. They attacked the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government for allegedly following the directives of the BJP-led central government and demanded an immediate halt to what they termed as anti-farmer and anti-worker policies.
January 16: A Day of Statewide Demonstrations
With the groundwork laid in Barnala, the focus now shifts to January 16. The farmer organisations have made a clarion call for their supporters to assemble in large numbers at administrative headquarters across Punjab. This protest is positioned as a significant show of strength against the central government's agricultural and labour reforms.
The success of these mobilisation drives in the villages will determine the scale of the protests. The coming days are likely to see intensified campaigning by SKM activists as they seek to turn the January 16 protest into a major political statement from the heartland of India's farm country.
