Politics · India Bureau
Punjab farmers stage sit-in at minister's office in Hoshiarpur
Agricultural workers have launched a dharna outside the official premises of a Punjab minister, pressing for debt relief and withdrawal of cases against protest participants. The action is part of a broader agitation backed by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
LSN India ·
Farmers have begun a sit-in demonstration outside the office of a Punjab minister in Hoshiarpur district, escalating their campaign for state government intervention on agrarian issues. The protest marks the latest phase of coordinated action across the state targeting multiple ministerial residences and offices.
The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), the organization spearheading the agitation, has outlined a 12-point charter of demands to address longstanding grievances within the farming and labor communities. Chief among these demands is a comprehensive loan waiver for distressed farmers, a recurring issue that has galvanized agricultural movements across Punjab in recent years.
A critical component of the KMM's demands involves the withdrawal of all cases registered against farmers and workers who participated in previous agitations and protests. The organization contends that legal action against demonstrators has created a chilling effect on legitimate dissent and advocacy within rural communities.
The sit-in strategy reflects a deliberate shift toward direct engagement with individual ministers, personalizing the pressure on government officials to respond to sectoral demands. Similar dharnas are expected to be mounted outside the residences and offices of other state ministers in coming days as the campaign gains momentum.