Bajwa to fast unto death if cane crushing not started by Nov 15

Saturday, 29/08/2015

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MUKERIAN (HOSHIARPUR): Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa said he would sit on fastunto-death from November 16 in Chandigarh if sugar mills don’t start the crushing of sugarcane by November 15. He also sought the support of farmers’ organisations in the common cause.

Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, party workers and farmers blocking the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway in Mukerian on Friday.

“The cane crushing starts by November 10-15 in the state and if by then the state government fails to clear the dues of the farmers, I will sit on fastunto-death in Chandigarh,” said Bajwa.

Addressing a dharna in front of a sugar mill here on Friday, Bajwa said the state government should evolve a policy to subsidise the farmers and sugar mills on the pattern of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He said as compared to these two states, the amount to be paid in Punjab was much less. He demanded a subsidy of `30 to `35 per quintal on sugarcane to the farmers. He also urged the Union government to announce `51,000-crore package for Punjab farmers on the pattern of Bihar to offset their debt liability.

He said the party would stage the next dharna in front of the Kiri Afgana sugar mill on September 12, adding that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi would participate in the “padyatra” to be organised by the state unit of the party from October 1.

Bajwa also expressed concern over the declining population of Sikhs in the country as quoted in a recent census. “The fall in the Sikh population was alarming. This is due to migration of around 1.5 lakh youth from the state to other countries every year due to lack of job opportunities in Punjab. The situation had taken a serious turn in the absence of lack of capital investment due to bad governance,” said Bajwa.

Addressing the dharna, Patiala (rural) MLA Brahm Mohindra praised Bajwa for fighting for the cause of the farmers. “By leading the protest for the cane growers, Bajwa has not only proved himself as a grassroots leader who can fight for the cause of farmers but has also proved his worth for the state party president’s post. That’s why the Congress leadership chose him to lead the party in Punjab.” said Mohindra.

Later, the Congress workers, led Bajwa, blocked the Jalandhar-Pathankot national highway for 10 minutes.

Besides Mohindra, former Union minister Santosh Chaudhary, Hoshiarpur MLA Sunder Sham Arora, Mukerian legislator Rajnish Kumar Babbi, Qadian MLA Charanjit Kaur Bajwa, Punjab Congress general secretaries Joginder Singh Mann and Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa, spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira, former MLAs Ram Lubhaya and Joginder Nath took part in the dharna.