At SKM’s Samrala victory march, farmer leaders object to Centre deferring 11% tax on cotton imports

A large number of farmers, labourers, and women participated in the rally to celebrate the state government’s withdrawal of the land pooling policy, creating traffic jams on several roads.

Addressing the rally, SKM’s national coordination committee member Balbir Singh Rajewal congratulated the people of Punjab for forcing the rollback of the land pooling policy through their struggle and urged them to be prepared for upcoming movements. He appealed to the people to remain determined in protecting the pro-people provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, to thwart the government’s attempts to create land banks and hand over agricultural land to corporate houses.

They alleged that “the ink on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement about sacrificing his chair for farmers had not even dried when warrants for the destruction of the country’s cotton growers were issued”. They demanded an immediate withdrawal of the notification and insisted that agriculture and allied sectors should be kept out of tax-free trade agreements.

Raising the issue of floods “caused by poor government planning”, speakers demanded compensation of Rs 70,000 per acre for damaged crops and financial aid for destroyed homes and loss of livestock.

Condemning the “non-payment of pending sugarcane dues” by August 31, the SKM announced that on September 2, farmers would gather at Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali and march towards the Chief Minister’s residence. They also demanded that the sugarcane price be raised to Rs 550 per quintal.