Farmers intensify protests across Punjab over land pooling, trade deal

The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha(KMM) and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) Ugrahan, along with the other farmers and labour organisations, intensified their protests on Monday. The KMM held day-long gatherings in all 22 districts outside the Deputy Commissioner’s offices, while the other farmers’ body continued its indefinite dharnas outside Deputy Commissioner offices in 17 districts.

The KMM claimed that hundreds of farmers, labourers, youth and members of the public participated in the gatherings, with Amritsar witnessing a particularly large turnout. The organisation raised several demands, including procurement of basmati, maize, moong, mustard and potato crops at MSP, complete loan waiver for farmers and labourers, compensation and jobs for families of suicide victims, and an effective policy to deal with floods, groundwater depletion and air and water pollution.

The Morcha also demanded withdrawal of the land pooling policy, cancellation of the India-US trade deal and withdrawal of police, railway and stubble-burning cases registered during farmers’ and labourers’ movements. The body also opposed the four labour codes, Seed Act 2025, Electricity Amendment Bill 2025 and VB-G RAM G Act.

The BKU Ugrahan’s indefinite dharnas, launched outside DC offices in 17 districts on Sunday, entered their second day on Monday. Protesters have brought tractor-trolleys to the sites to stay overnight. In Bathinda, large groups of farmers, labourers and women joined the protest.

While in Sangrur, the protestors have blocked the road adjacent to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The Ugrahan leaders demanded that Punjab issue a clear policy statement on land surveys being conducted through drones and other means in Bathinda and Sangrur.

They said the surveys have created anxiety among people and warned that teams entering agricultural fields for such surveys would face protests and gheraos. Most of the demands of the BKU Ugrahan were similar to those of the KMM.

The BKU Ugrahan leaders also announced participation in a major gathering on September 9 to mark revolutionary poet Avtar Singh Paash’s birth anniversary, adding that the indefinite dharnas would continue.