News Analysis India

Tag: Rail Roko

  • Several ‘rail roko’ protesters booked in Haryana for blocking tracks

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Cases have been registered against several people in Haryana for squatting on railway tracks on Monday as part of the six-hour ‘rail roko’ protest of the farmers.

    The cases have been registered by the Railway Protection Force against the protesters, the railway officials said on Tuesday.

    The protesters have been booked under various provisions of the Railways Act, they said, adding most of those booked were unknown.

    In Sonipat, 100-120 protesters, including four farm union leaders, have been booked, a government railway police official said over the phone.

    He said the other people booked were unknown and unnamed in the FIR.

    A case has been registered in Ambala as well, an RPF official said.

    Farmers in Haryana and some other parts of the country had squatted on rail tracks on Monday as part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s six-hour ‘rail roko’ protest to demand the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

    The stir had disrupted the movement of trains in both the states, causing inconvenience to passengers who could be seen waiting for at stations for hours with their baggage.

    The protest had passed off peacefully in Haryana, the state’s police had said.

    The impact of the protest was seen in the form of blockades of railway tracks at 47 locations across the state that hindered the movement of trains causing inconvenience to passengers, a Haryana Police spokesperson had earlier said.

  • ‘Rail Roko’ protest paralyses services in Haryana and Punjab, mixed response in Uttar Pradesh

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW/CHANDIGARH: Farmers in Punjab and Haryana squatted on rail tracks on Monday as part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s six-hour ‘rail roko’. Rail services were thus paralysed. However, the nationwide Rail Roko protest over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence evoked a mixed response across Uttar Pradesh.

    The New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express stopped near Shambu station as protesters blocked railway tracks near Sahnewal and Rajpura. Also other trains were stopped on their tracks. A statement issued by the Northern Railway CPRO said: “So far, 150 locations in the northern Railway zone have been affected and operations of 60 trains hindered. About 25 passenger and short distance trains have been cancelled.’’

    The rail traffic on Bhiwani-Rewari, Sirsa-Rewari, Loharu-Hisar, Suratgarh-Bathinda, Sirsa-Bathinda, Hanumangarh-Bathinda, Rohtak-Bhiwani, Rewari-Sadulpur, Hisar-Bathinda, Hanumangarh-Sadulpur and Sri Ganganagar-Rewari sections was affected. Also eighteen trains, including the Firozpur-Hanumangarh Special train, Ludhiana-Hisar Special train, were cancelled. Some 10 trains partially cancelled due to the stir are Ahmedabad-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Special, the railway spokesperson said, adding the train which departed from Ahmedabad on Saturday would run via Rewari-Delhi-Pathankot to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra.

    Meanwhile, the response was lukewarm in eastern and central UP. However, its impact was conspicuous in western UP where farmers squatted on the tracks at various places. The protesters demanded the removal of Union minister of state for home Ajay Kumar Mishra ‘Teni’, whose son has been arrested in the Lakhimpur Kheri case. ADG, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, said 160 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and another nine companies of paramilitary forces were deployed.

    North Railway Zone’s 150 locations affectedThe ‘rail roko’ protest affected 150 locations in the Northern Railway zone due to which movement of 60 trains including Chandigarh-Ferozepur Express, New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express Jalandhar Express. According to the CPRO, Northern Railway, 25 short-distance such as Firozpur-Hanumangarh Special train, Ludhiana-Hisar Special train, Bathinda-Sriganganagar Special train, Bathinda-Lalgarh Special train, were cancelled due to the agitation. 

  • Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Stray protests, no major impact of ‘Rail Roko’ in Uttar Pradesh

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Barring stray protests at railway tracks at some places, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s six-hour ‘Rail Roko’ stir over Lakhimpur Kheri violence failed to create any significant impact in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

    The farmers protested briefly at some places of the state.

    There was heavy police deployment in and around railway stations, but trains stopped briefly at few stations, railway officials said.

    Trains were halted at Meerut and Greater Noida’s Dankaur stations by the protesters, BKU media in-charge Dharmendra Malik said.

    In Ghaziabad’s Modinagar, they agitated in front of a goods train which had already reached its destination.

    In Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) workers halted the Amritsar-Delhi and the Jalandhar Express trains by staging a dharna on rail tracks.

    The BKU workers also staged a token demonstration at the Raya Station in Mathura, officials said, adding that they later vacated the railway tracks.

    Meanwhile, peace prevailed in Lakhimpur Kheri, the site of the October 3 violence.

    ALSO READ: ‘Rail roko’ affects 150 locations in Northern Railway zone, 60 trains affected

    The railways had suspended train movement in the region, with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) also withdrawing its agitation there.

    Amandeep Singh Sandhu, BKU district president, told PTI that in “view of the prevailing situation in Kheri, the SKM had cancelled the ‘rail roko’ agitation in the district”.

    “Also, the untimely rains and heavy winds had hit the paddy crops in the district and farmers are busy managing the crop… the railways has also suspended the movement of trains in Kheri, hence, it (agitation) was of no use there,” he said.

    The farmers’ body had given the call for nationwide ‘rail roko andolan’ to demand the dismissal and arrest of Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra to ensure justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

    Ashish Mishra, son of Ajay Mishra, was arrested in connection with the case on October 9.

    Shivam Sharma, PRO, North Central Railway (NCR) said farmers stopped the Gomti Express for two to three minutes at the Khurja Railway Station.

    The protesters, however, left after being persuaded by the police.

    In Jhansi, the farmers demonstrated for around 10 minutes at the Dabra Station and between Gohad and Malanpur stations.

    They later left after being asked by the police, he said.

    Similarly at two places between Mathura-Palwal of Agra Division, the farmers demonstrated at the railway gate and also near the Rundhi Station.

    ALSO READ: Not received any report of disturbance, say Delhi Police on Farmers’ ‘rail roko’ stir

    Sharma said there was no loss of railway property.

    “In Lucknow, police were deployed in large numbers at Utrathia and Alamnagar railway stations. The security personnel prevented the farmers from entering the stations,” Lucknow Police Commissioner D K Thakur said.

    He said elaborate security arrangements have been made outside all railway stations of the state capital, and farmers were stopped before reaching the stations.

    Kanpur Police Commissioner Aseem Arun said there was no impact of the farmers’ agitation in Kanpur as tight security arrangements were maintained as a precautionary measure.

    The SKM, leading the movement against the Centre’s new agricultural laws, had in a statement said that the agitation of the farmers would be intensified till there was justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

    It had also said that trains would be stopped from 10 am to 4 pm on Monday during the ‘Rail Roko’ protest.

    “A nationwide rail roko andolan to demand the dismissal and arrest of Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra to ensure justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri case will be held on October 18,” it had said.

    Eight people, including four farmers, died in the violence on October 3.

    The four farmers were allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers.

    Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.

    The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.

    Farmers have claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and Ajay Mishra, who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

  • Lakhimpur Kheri violence: ‘Rail roko’ affects 130 locations in Northern Railway zone, 50 trains affected

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s six-hour ‘rail roko’ protest on Monday over the Lakhimpur violence affected 130 locations in the Northern Railway zone and hindered the running of 50 trains, said its chief public relation officer (CPRO).

    In the North Western Railway (NWR), rail traffic was affected in some sections in Rajasthan and Haryana with two trains cancelled, 13 partially cancelled and one diverted due to the protest.

    The trains that have been affected in the Northern Railway zone include the Chandigarh-Ferozepur Express.

    Its scheduled departure from Ludhiana was 7 am, but has been stranded there due to a blockade in the Ferozpur-Ludhiana section, the official said.

    The New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express was halted near Shambu station as protesters blocked railway tracks near Sahnewal and Rajpura.

    “So far, 130 locations in the Northern Railway zone have been affected and operations of 50 trains hindered,” the Northern Railway CPRO said.

    In Rajasthan, the agitation affected train movement in Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar of the Bikaner division.

    ALSO READ | Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Cong slams PM Modi for not removing Union minister despite son’s arrest

    An NWR spokesperson said rail traffic on Bhiwani-Rewari, Sirsa-Rewari, Loharu-Hisar, Suratgarh-Bathinda, Sirsa-Bathinda, Hanumangarh-Bathinda, Rohtak-Bhiwani, Rewari-Sadulpur, Hisar-Bathinda, Hanumangarh-Sadulpur and Sri Ganganagar-Rewari sections was affected due to the agitation.

    The Bathinda-Rewari Special train and the Sirsa-Ludhiana Special train will remain cancelled on Monday, he said, adding the route of Ahmedabad-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Special train has also been changed.

    The train which departed from Ahmedabad on Saturday will run on the changed route via Rewari-Delhi-Pathankot to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, he said.

    Punjab: Farm law protestors sit on the railway track at Devi Dasspura village in Amritsar following the farmer’s union call for ‘Rail Roko Andolan’ today pic.twitter.com/lQrKImJKso
    — ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2021
    The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the Centre’s three agri laws, had said “protests will be intensified until justice is secured” in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

    All train traffic will be stopped from 10 am till 4 pm on Monday during the ‘rail roko’ protest over the demand of the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri case, the SKM had said.

    Four of the eight people who died in the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers.

    Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.

    The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.

    Farmers have claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and Ajay Mishra who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

    Ashish Mishra was arrested in the case on October 9.

  • ‘Rail Roko’ protest: Farmers block train traffic in Punjab, demand justice in Lakhimpur violence case

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Farmers in Punjab squatted on rail tracks on Monday morning as part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s six-hour ‘rail roko’ protest demanding the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri.

    A railway official said four sections of the Ferozepur division were blocked by the protesters.

    The Ferozepur-Fazilka section in Ferozepur city and the Ferozepur-Ludhiana section at Ajitwal in Moga were affected, the official said.

    ​ALSO READ | Lakhimpur incident: SKM to hold ‘Rail Roko’ on October 18 to demand dismissal, arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra

    Demanding the arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, on Monday, said the KMSC will hold protests at 20 places in 11 districts of the state.

    In a statement, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the Centre’s three agri laws, had said “protests will be intensified until justice is secured” in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

    During the ‘rail roko’ protest, all train traffic will be stopped from 10 am till 4 pm on Monday, the SKM had said.

    “To press for its demand for MoS Home Ajay Mishra’s dismissal and arrest, so that justice can be secured in the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre, Samyukt Kisan Morcha has announced a nation-wide Rail Roko programme.”

    ALSO READ | Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Cong slams PM Modi for not removing Union minister despite son’s arrest

    “SKM put out a call to its constituents to stop rail traffic for six hours on October 18 between 10 am and 4 pm. The SKM asks for this action to be taken up peacefully, without any destruction and damage of any kind to any railway property,” it had said.

    Four of the eight people who died in the violence on October 3 were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers.

    Haryana | Protestors block railway tracks at Bahadurgarh in protest against Lakhimpur Kheri incidentSamyukta Kisan Morcha has called for nationwide ‘Rail roko’ in protest against the incident pic.twitter.com/Ucvmfq6PcM
    — ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2021
    Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.

    The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.

    Farmers have claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and Ajay Mishra who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

    Ashish Mishra was arrested in the case on October 9.

  • Lakhimpur incident: SKM to hold ‘Rail Roko’ on October 18 to demand dismissal, arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday said ‘Rail Roko’ protests will be held across the country on October 18 to demand the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

    In a statement, the umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s three agri laws, said “protests will only be intensified until justice is secured” in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

    The SKM said during the ‘rail roko’ protest, all train traffic will be stopped for six hours from 10 am till 4 pm on Monday.

    “To press for its demand for MoS Home Ajay Mishra’s dismissal and arrest, so that justice can be secured in the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre, Samyukt Kisan Morcha has announced a nation-wide Rail Roko program tomorrow.

    “SKM put out a call to its constituents to stop rail traffic for six hours on October 18, between 10 am and 4 pm. The SKM asks for this action to be taken up peacefully, without any destruction and damage of any kind to any railway property,” it said.

    Four of the eight people who died in the violence on October 3 were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers.

    Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.

    The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.

    Farmers have claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and Ajay Mishra who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

    Ashish Mishra was arrested in the case on October 9.

    The SKM also claimed that at effigy-burning events across Uttar Pradesh, several farmer leaders were put under house arrested while some were detained.

    SKM condemns this and asks the UP government not to suppress the right to protest of ordinary citizens, it added.

  • Rail roko: ‘Will burn crops but continue stir’, says BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

    By Express News Service
    There was no violence or untoward incident, but the nationwide ‘rail roko’ programme called by the farmer unions in protest against agri laws saw some disruptions in train services in a few states. Services were affected as farmers blocked tracks in Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka and parts of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal from 12 noon to 4 pm.

    In most other states, the rail roko call received a lukewarm response. While farmer leaders claimed the four-hour stir was peaceful and a big success, the railways claimed it had negligible impact. “A few trains were stopped in some areas but operations are normal now,” a railway spokesperson said. Farmer leaders reiterated the agitation will continue.

    ALSO READ| Rail roko will be peaceful, will not join politics: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

    “Even if you have to set your standing crop on fire, you should be prepared for it. The government should not be under any misconception that farmers will soon leave the protest sites to harvest crops. If they insist, then we will burn our crops. The government should not think that protest will end in two months. We will harvest our crops as well as protest… There will be no ‘ghar wapsi’ till then,” Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait told a mahapanchayat in Hisar.

    Tikait advised the farmers to “keep your tractors filled with fuel and facing towards Delhi” saying “you can get a call to move at any time”.

    No big impact on train operations

    The railways said the agitation passed off without any untoward incident and there was negligible orminimal impact 

  • Farmers participate with vigour in ‘rail roko’; railways says impact negligible

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Agitating farmer groups on Thursday held a four-hour nationwide ‘rail roko’ agitation with the railways saying there was negligible impact on services though some trains were stopped by officials at stations as a precautionary measure.

    In Punjab and Haryana, farmers at several places squatted on railway tracks which led to disruption in normal movement of trains on some routes.

    Protests were also staged at some places in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka in response to the call by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions which is spearheading the agitation against the three farm laws.

    However, in many states, it was a low-key affair.

    The SKM called the blockade “peaceful and successful”.

    In a statement, it claimed trains were stopped between 12 pm and 4 pm at “hundreds of locations” across the country.

    “Anger among farmers is intensifying and the central government will have to repeal the laws,” it said.

    The All India Kisan Sabha also claimed the agitation received “massive response across the country”, adding some activists were arrested in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Telangana.

    “The massive success of the rail roko struggle is a warning to the Modi government.

    ALSO READ | Narendra Singh Tomar in poll-bound Assam; says centre is still willing to talk to farmers on agri laws

    The farmers across the country have expressed their determination to continue the struggle till the demands are met with,” the Sabha said in a statement.

    A railway spokesperson said the agitation passed off without any untoward incident and there was negligible or minimal impact on running of the trains across the country.

    Trains began running normally across the country within an hour after the blockade ended, he said.

    Earlier, around 25 trains were regulated by the Railways due to the agitation.

    “Majority of the zones have reported not a single case of any stoppage of train by the agitators.

    Few trains were stopped in some areas of some Railway zones but now train operation is normal and trains are being operated smoothly.

    While dealing with the Rail roko agitation, utmost patience was exercised by all concerned,” he said.

    The railways deployed 20 additional companies of the RPSF across the country, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

    Farmer groups congregated in Haryana’s Ambala, Kurukshetra and Charkhi Dadri railway stations, according to officials.

    In Kurukshetra, some protesters climbed atop the Gita Jayanti Express train, which was stationary at that time, resulting in some delay.

    In Punjab, protesters sat on tracks at many places on the Delhi-Ludhiana-Amritsar railway route, officials said.

    Farmers also blocked the Jalandhar Cantt-Jammu railway track in Jalandhar and besides a rail track in Mohali district, they said.

    The Ferozepur division of the Northern Railways decided to halt trains at stations so that passengers face less inconvenience during the ‘rail roko’ protest.

    In Rajasthan, officials said that the Rewari-Sri Ganganagar special train was the only train cancelled due to the agitation, while few others were delayed.

    In West Bengal too, stray incidents were reported across the state with little or no effect on rail services.

    ALSO READ | Rail roko: Asked to end agitation, farmers feed sweets, shower UP Police with flowers in Ghaziabad

    In Maharashtra, members of several organisations and workers of political parties, including Congress, Shiv Sena, NCP, Janata Dal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), also took part in the rail roko agitation at the Pune railway station, labour welfare activist Nitin Pawar said.

    The protesters blocked the Koyna Express and shouted slogans by standing in front of trains, he said.

    At least 12 people were detained at Lasur station, around 40 km from Aurangabad, an official said.

    “The Jalna-Mumbai Janshatabdi train was stopped at the station for around 30 minutes.

    We have detained around 12 agitators and further probe is underway,” the official from the railway police said.

    In Bengaluru, the protest was low-key but there was a good turnout of protesters in Raichur, Belagavi and Davangere.

    In Raichur, Belagavi and Davangere, some protesters were arrested, sources said.

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

    The protesting farmers have expressed their apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

    However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

  • Rail roko: Asked to end agitation, farmers feed sweets, shower UP Police with flowers in Ghaziabad

    By ANI
    GHAZIABAD: Members of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) on Thursday showered flower petals on police personnel and offered them sweets when the latter appealed to farmers to end their ‘Rail roko’ agitation on Thursday at Modinagar in Ghaziabad.

    Farmers protesting against the Centre’s new agricultural laws blocked tracks in several parts of the country including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajashtan and Karnataka during their agitation that started at noon today.

    Utkal Express that plies from Odisha’s Puri to Uttarakhand’s Haridwar was stopped at Ghaziabad railway station with farmers blocking the tracks at Modinagar railway station.

    Protesters were seen on railway tracks protesting against the new farm laws in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur, Palwal of Haryana, Jammu’s Channi Himat area and Fatehpur Sahib of Punjab.

    ALSO READ | Proof that protest not limited to Punjab and Haryana: Farmers on ‘rail roko’

    There were reports of a few passengers falling ill due to non-working of AC of the trains which were stopped by protesters at Jagatpur railway station in Rajasthan.

    Farmers under the aegis of the United-Kissan Front demonstrated at railway track in Jammu’s Channi Himat area with slogans against the newly enacted farm laws.

    Farmers also protested on railway tracks in Fatehpur Sahib of Punjab.

    In the agitation staged by workers of Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) at Patna Junction railway station, a train was blocked by the agitators. Protesters were lying down on the railway tracks and they climbed up the engine of the locomotive.

    Meanwhile, the Indian railways reported that, initially the train schedule was affected but in most zones there was no train stoppages.

    “Rail roko agitation passed off without any untoward incident. There was negligible or minimal impact on running of the trains across the country. Train movement in all zones is normal now. Few trains were stopped in some areas but now train operation is normal,” it said.

    “Around 25 trains have been regulated so far. There has been minimum effect on rail services due to the agitation,” Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar said.

    The Railways had deployed 20 additional companies of the Railway Protection Special Force in view of the protest.

    Entry and exit at four metro stations, including Tikri border, were shut by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for nearly four hours today. The Tikri Border metro station is near the site where the farmers are protesting against three new agriculture laws of the Centre.

    DMRC tweeted to inform commuters about the closure of entry and exit at these four stations.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha had last week announced a nationwide to press for its demand to repeal the farm laws. Farmer unions demonstrated ‘rail roko’ agitation between 12 pm to 4 pm on Thursday in different parts of the country.

    After the tractor rally and ‘chakka jaam’, ‘rail roko’ has been the major protest by the farmers against the three farm laws.

    Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of the national capital since November last year, against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. 

  • Proof that protest not limited to Punjab and Haryana: Farmers on ‘rail roko’

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: With farmers on Thursday blocking railway tracks across the country, at stations big and small, protesters at Singhu said it proves that the agitation is not just limited to Punjab and Haryana.

    “The government has constantly been saying that the protest against the three farm laws is being staged by the farmers of just two states, Punjab and Haryana, but the rail roko andolan shows that the government is wrong.

    “Farmers from so many states have participated. That is why it was important for us to protest on the railway tracks.

    Like the railways that has a nationwide network, our protest is also happening across the country,” Krantikari Kisan Union’s Gurdaspur district president Bhajan Singh said.

    Besides multiple railway stations across Punjab and Haryana, the “rail roko” protest was also staged at different places in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, among others.

    According to another farmer leader, Amrik Singh, it was one of the many ways the protesters wanted to show their strength to the government.

    “The three laws need to be repealed and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha is trying to put pressure on the government from every angle.

    But we have been protesting peacefully and will continue to do so,” the Jalandhar state unit president of the BKU (Kadia), said.

    He added that the “rail roko” event was limited to four hours because the farmers “only wanted to send a message to the government and not inconvenience the public”.

    “We do not want to create problems for the passengers.

    We only want the government to accept our demands, so that they can also sleep peacefully and we can return home to our families,” he said.

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

    The protesting farmers have expressed their apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

    However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

    Many farmers at the Singhu border protest site said their family members were sitting on railway tracks back in their villages.

    “Through today’s event, the entire country is awakening. It shows that our demand is the country’s demand. We are positive that we will resolve this, whether it takes two months or four,” Jairam Singh from Punjab’s Hoshiarpur said.

    He said while he had come all the way to Singhu to join the agitation, his family members, including his wife and brother, were sitting on railway tracks back in Desuya.

    Aman Sahota and Vivek Syal, also from Hoshiarpur, shared similar stories of family members participating in the “rail roko” event back home in Tanda and Jalandhar.

    “We will be peaceful, but we will protest. Nothing can stop us,” Sahota said.

    Asked about the challenges of continuing with the protest in the impending summer heat, he said arrangements for generators and air-coolers are being made.

    “Heat is a very small factor, especially when there is a threat to our basic survival. These laws impact our ability to feed ourselves.

    “We are prepared to face the Delhi heat too. Arrangements for 10,000 air-coolers and generators to run those are being made.

    We are not moving from here unless the three laws are taken back,” Sahota said.