Chandigarh, 26 January 2025: Over one lakh tractors will roll through Punjab roads on Sunday as farmers protest against the Centre’s policies. The march, spanning more than 500 locations, will last from 12 noon to 3 pm, said Sarwan Singh Pandher, convener of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM).
Pandher mentioned that participation is expected to be robust, with over five lakh tractors likely joining nationwide.
The demonstration is being organized by the KMM and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), which have been protesting at Punjab-Haryana border points since February last year.
Key demands include a minimum support price (MSP) for crops and addressing corporate practices seen as detrimental to small businesses.
Pandher stated the march is dedicated to small shopkeepers facing losses due to the rise of e-commerce firms.
Citing a study by the All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF), he mentioned that over 2 lakh grocery shops have shut down in the past year.
“The January 26 protest stands with small traders being marginalized by corporate-owned malls and companies,” Pandher said, adding that protests will target toll plazas, grain storage facilities, shopping malls, and homes of BJP leaders.
“Our struggle continues until demands are met,” he asserted.
The march aligns with ongoing unity discussions between SKM factions and other farm organizations.
Their third meeting is slated for February 12, with protesting bodies also preparing to meet the Centre’s representatives two days later. SKM leader Sukhjit Singh Hardo Jhande has called for advancing the unity talks.
“We’ve only learned about it through media. A formal invite hasn’t reached us,” he mentioned, adding they already have events planned for February 12, the first anniversary of their protest.
In a separate incident, Bhima Singh, a 55-year-old farmer from Muktsar, collapsed at the Khanauri protest site.
Suspected of having suffered a stroke, he was rushed to a hospital for treatment.
