Mohali, Sept 1: Farmer organizations under the umbrella of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha initiated a seven-day protest on Tuesday, setting up camp on the main road connecting Mohali with Chandigarh. Sector representatives maintained that the demonstration addresses a wide spectrum of agricultural, financial, and state-specific concerns, including long-standing disputes over Punjab river waters and representation in the Bhakra Beas Management Board. Authorities have put traffic diversions in place across the border region to handle potential congestion.
Protest organizers asserted that the primary focus remains securing a statutory legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price based on the Swaminathan Commission recommendations. Union officials declared that expanding legally enforceable price assurances beyond traditional procurement crops is essential for sustaining the agricultural economy. Demonstrators also voiced opposition to proposed free trade agreements with international partners, maintaining that low-cost imports could disrupt local markets and depress crop returns.
Water rights formed a central pillar of the charter presented to administration officials. Representatives stated that previous water-sharing arrangements should be revisited through a dedicated assembly session, alongside restoring the state’s permanent representation in regional river management bodies. Union leaders affirmed that resource governance remains vital to maintaining local control over critical irrigation networks.
Financial protection and social security measures round out the charter of demands submitted by the union collective. Organizers affirmed that comprehensive debt waivers should be extended to both landholding farmers and landless agricultural workers. The charter further requests a sugarcane price of Rs 500 per quintal, monthly pensions for rural workers, and the withdrawal of proposed legislative bills concerning electricity and seeds.
