CHANDIGARH, Nov 27 — More than 5,000 farmers under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Wednesday warned the Centre of another 2020-style agitation if the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 is not withdrawn ahead of the upcoming Parliament session. Leaders also demanded the rollback of the proposed Seeds Bill, four labour laws and the National Education Policy, calling them steps toward “greater centralisation.”
SKM has called a meeting of its constituents on November 28 to decide the next course. “Be prepared for a new battle and it’s more serious this time,” said BKU (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal, urging farmers to keep their “bags, food and clothes” ready for an indefinite protest.
BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said the power Bill would hand over electricity distribution to corporations.
He added that smart chip meters were “strong indicators” of large-scale privatisation, while the Seeds Bill would allow multinational companies to dominate agriculture.
“Watch out brothers! Farmers are being pushed to a point of no return,” said BKU (Ekta-Dakaunda) president Buta Singh Burjgill.
Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal Singh said the government had failed to deliver MSP assurances made after the last agitation.
“The government has not even given us the MSP on crops, as promised.”
He added that Punjab had not compensated farmers for crop and cattle losses during the recent floods.
Speakers also demanded that cases linked to the Lakhimpur Kheri violence be cancelled and that farmers marked with red entries for stubble burning be cleared. They urged the Centre to keep agriculture out of free trade agreements and scrap anti-labour Bills.
A draft resolution adopted unanimously asked the state government to stop any move to sell land belonging to Punjab Agricultural University and the Punjab State Electricity Board. Farmers also sought immediate announcement of Panjab University senate election dates and reiterated that Chandigarh should be the rightful capital of Punjab.
