AAP Government Must Provide Legal Guarantee for MSP as Promised by Kejriwal and MSP on All Crops as Promised by Bhagwant Mann : Kisan Vidhan Sabha

AAP Government Must Provide Legal Guarantee for MSP as Promised by Kejriwal and MSP on All Crops as Promised by Bhagwant Mann : Kisan Vidhan Sabha

Kisan Vidhan Sabha Resolution Demands Time-Bound Action Plan from Punjab Government on Farmers’ Issues

Demand for Assured Procurement at MSP, Moong Procurement, End to Lathi-Charge on Farmers, Timely Compensation for Crop Losses, and Concrete Action Against Drugs and Sacrilege

Chandigarh 10 August ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : The Kisan Vidhan Sabha, organised today by Azad Kisan Morcha, Punjab (AKM Punjab Forum) at Shaheed Udham Singh Bhawan, Sector 44-C, Chandigarh, held detailed deliberations on important agricultural, economic and social issues concerning Punjab. Sixteen farmer organisations participated in the Kisan Vidhan Sabha, and following the deliberations, a resolution was passed demanding clear and time-bound action from the Punjab Government on these issues. The Kisan Vidhan Sabha said that the farmers of Punjab are the backbone of the state’s economy and the country’s food security, but several important issues concerning them have still not received a permanent solution. Instead of merely offering assurances and making announcements, the government should take concrete action on the ground. Leaders and representatives of organisations affiliated with the Azad Kisan Morcha Punjab Forum, including Bharatiya Kisan Union ToteWal (Punjab), Bharatiya Kisan-Mazdoor Union Majhail (Punjab), Flood-Affected Farmers Struggle Committee (Punjab), Sher-e-Punjab Kisan-Mazdoor Morcha (Punjab), Annadata Kisan-Mazdoor Union (Punjab), Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Malwa, Sher-e-Punjab Kisan Union Garhshankar, Kisan Bachao Morcha Punjab and Doaba Kisan Union Punjab, among others, participated in the Kisan Vidhan Sabha. 

Those present on the occasion included Sukh Gill Moga, State President, Bharatiya Kisan Union ToteWal; Satnam Singh Sandhu Harike, State President, Bharatiya Kisan-Mazdoor Union Majhail; Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, State President, Flood-Affected Farmers Struggle Committee; Nachhattar Singh Kapurthala, State President, Sher-e-Punjab Kisan-Mazdoor Morcha; Jathedar Taranjit Singh Nimana and Harinder Singh Bajwa, State President and leader respectively of Annadata Kisan-Mazdoor Union; Bhupinder Singh Kotduna, State President, Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Malwa; Jaswant Singh Bhathal Dhamai, State President, Sher-e-Punjab Kisan Union Garhshankar; Paramjit Singh Babbar; Kirpa Singh Nathuwala, Punjab President, Kisan Bachao Morcha; Sardar Raj Singh; and Kuldeep Singh Wajidpur, State President, Doaba Kisan Union Punjab, along with other farmer leaders.The Kisan Vidhan Sabha demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab provide a legal guarantee for MSP as per the election promise made by its national leader Arvind Kejriwal and provide MSP on all crops as per the election promise made by Bhagwant Mann. Along with ensuring proper and timely procurement of paddy and wheat, an effective procurement system should be established for moong and other crops being promoted under crop diversification. Farmers need not merely announcements or assurances, but a strong and transparent procurement framework through which they can receive a fair price for their produce. The Kisan Vidhan Sabha condemned lathi-charge, tear gas, water cannons and arrests against farmers and rural labourers who are struggling for their legitimate demands. Referring to the police action during the recent protest by MGNREGA workers in Khanna, it was stated that peacefully raising one’s demands is a democratic right. The government should adopt the path of dialogue instead of pressure and confrontation. The voice of the farmers who feed the nation should be heard through dialogue, not through batons.

The Kisan Vidhan Sabha said that merely opposing the E20 policy is not a solution. The Punjab Government should seriously study the policy’s impact on agriculture, crop demand, procurement, prices, marketing and farmers’ incomes. The state government should engage with the Central Government and ensure that no policy change has an adverse economic impact on the farmers of Punjab. At the same time, crop diversification should be implemented in practice by guaranteeing assured markets, fair prices and procurement for paddy, maize, sugarcane and other crops.The Kisan Vidhan Sabha demanded that farmers be provided timely compensation for crop losses caused by floods, heavy rainfall, unseasonal weather and other natural disasters.A time-bound and transparent system should be established for girdawari, assessment of losses and distribution of compensation so that farmers do not have to face bureaucratic delays and unnecessary harassment.

The Kisan Vidhan Sabha said that the government should not engage with farmers only during protests or crises. A permanent mechanism should be established for regular and institutionalised dialogue with farmer organisations. The views of farmer representatives should be taken in major decisions related to agriculture, MSP, procurement, crop diversification, agricultural costs and farmers’ livelihoods, and decisions taken during such meetings should be implemented in a timely manner. The Kisan Vidhan Sabha expressed serious concern over the drug problem in Punjab and said that drugs have severely affected the youth, families and society. Effective and impartial action should be taken to stop the supply, trafficking and illegal trade of drugs. Along with strict legal action against major traffickers and supply networks, treatment, rehabilitation and employment-linkage facilities for youth recovering from drug addiction should also be strengthened.

The Kisan Vidhan Sabha also expressed concern over incidents of sacrilege and demanded effective security arrangements for religious places. Wherever such an incident occurs, a prompt and impartial investigation should be conducted and the guilty must be punished according to law. Any form of political interference or unnecessary delay should not be tolerated. Through a resolution unanimously passed at the Kisan Vidhan Sabha, the Punjab Government was demanded to issue a clear, transparent and time-bound action plan on all the issues mentioned above. The Kisan Vidhan Sabha said that the Punjab Government should abandon the policy of coercion, delays, empty assurances and unfulfilled promises and engage seriously in dialogue with farmers and the common people of Punjab.

The Kisan Vidhan Sabha made it clear that the problems of Punjab’s farmers are not limited to farmers alone. They are directly linked to Punjab’s economy, rural employment, agriculture and social structure. Therefore, the government must find permanent and practical solutions to these issues. Azad Kisan Morcha, Punjab (AKM Punjab Forum), said that a decision on the next course of action regarding the issues raised in the Kisan Vidhan Sabha would be taken after consultation with the farmer organisations.