“Nationwide” Farmers’ Strike: Punjab Farmer Unions Choose Premature Call-Off

Farmer unions in Punjab have chosen to call off their 10-day long agitation early on 6 June, four days in advance, a report in News18 has said. The stir began on 1 June. Four farmer organisations from Punjab jointly announced that they will end the agitation early Wednesday. The decision was announced at a press meet in Ludhiana.

The next course of action will be made public after a meeting of 172 farmer organisations, under whose aegis the agitation was spearheaded. Balbir Singh Rajewal, State president of the Bharti Kisan Union, claimed that the government was trying to create a rift among farmers owing to which a decision to call off the agitation was taken.

Farmer organisations had reportedly decided to stop supplying milk and vegetables to cities from June 1 to 19. In Punjab, farmers were seen spilling milk and throwing vegetables on to the roads during the bandh. Several clashes between the common people and farmers were also reported.

Several instances of miscreants dragging unwilling farmers into the protests have also been reported across the country during the strike.