Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday declared that he would “lead the people of Punjab to Delhi” and sit outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence to support the farmers' protest against the Centre's controversial Farm Laws.
“I will lead the people of Punjab to Delhi... I will sit outside PM's residence in protest against the farm laws..." Channi told reporters, minutes after Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned as chief of the Congress' State unit, triggering a fresh leadership crisis for the Congress in the poll-bound State.
Reiterating his firm commitment to stand by the farmers and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha in this hour of crisis, the Chief Minister said that he would even lead a mammoth march towards Delhi either by foot or on bi-cycle to support their cause in case the Centre doesn't concede their demand to repeal these laws forthwith.
Appealing the Centre to immediately repeal the three black farm laws, Channi said that otherwise Punjab Government would convene a special session of Vidhan Sabha to reject these anti-farm laws outrightly to safeguard the interest of the farmers and farm labourers, who are already passing through an acute economic crisis.
The declaration assumes significance considering that the opposition parties in Punjab had repeatedly criticised the ruling Congress over his predecessor Capt Amarinder Singh not doing something similar.
Capt Amarinder, the previous week, had urged Channi to ensure that the State Government stands with the beleaguered farmers of Punjab “who have sacrificed their lives in our collective fight for justice”.
The Congress party in Punjab, where Assembly elections are due to be held next year, has stressed on its support for farmers in recent days, with Channi's newly-constituted Cabinet meeting a day before to pass a resolution in support of the farmers’ 'Bharat Bandh' call on Monday.
Channi, addressing the media persons at Chief Minister's Office on Tuesday, said that he had already asked the then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to reject these laws but the Cabinet, at that time, authorized him to take any decision, as he deems fit. He, however, chose to bring the amended bills instead of rejecting these draconian farm legislations.
Urging the Centre to give due recognition to the border state of Punjab for its unprecedented sacrifices to uphold the country’s integrity and sovereignty, Channi said that the Centre should not try to foment trouble in the state like Jammu and Kashmir rather it should sincerely resolve the ongoing farm crisis at the earliest in the larger interest of the country.
Expressing solidarity with the farmers and the farm labourers in their ongoing agitation against these farm laws, the Chief Minister categorically said that he would support their concerns. He bemoaned that these laws would ultimately perish the state's peasantry as our beleaguered farmers are already reeling under whopping debt to the tune of Rs one lakh crore and thus the Centre should now come forward to bail them out from this financial crisis.
Channi said that it is ironic that ‘anndaata’ has been virtually forced to become ‘bhikhari’ due to the Centre's apathy and stubborn attitude. “If Centre can afford to waive the huge loans of big corporate houses, what stops it from waiving the loans of poor and needy farmers?” quipped Channi.
He, however, said that the State Government had already provided relief to the small and marginal farmers upto Rs two lakh and now farm labourers are also being extended relief to the extent of Rs 25,000, with whatever little resources it had.
Extending a healing touch to the victim families of the deceased farmers, who lost their lives during the stir against these farm laws, the Chief Minister said his government has provided government jobs to their family members besides giving financial assistance of Rs five lakh per family. Touching an emotional chord, the Chief Minister shared an incident where he personally handed over an appointment letter recently to such family who were living in extremely deplorable conditions in a house even without a roof. He said that the victim of that family in Bathinda district was constructing the house with the financial aid of Rs five lakh received from the government.
Listing his Government’s priority to provide houses to houseless, the Chief Minister said that the process of allotment of five-marla plots is being simplified and has now empowered the BDPOs to decide the cases after the resolution passed by the concerned village panchayats. The entire process to identify and finalize the allotment of plots to the eligible beneficiaries would be completed within a month, added Channi.
