Farmers Detained in Chandigarh Protesting Government’s Failure to Compensate for Crop Damage
Farmers from various parts of northern India, including Punjab, were detained by the Haryana police as they made their way to Chandigarh to protest against the government’s failure to provide compensation for their crop damage caused by floods. The farmers are demanding a comprehensive compensation package of Rs 50,000 crore from the central government to cover the losses incurred due to the recent floods in the region. They are seeking Rs 50,000 per acre as compensation for crop loss, Rs 5 lakh for damaged houses, and Rs 10 lakh for families who lost a member due to the floods.
The police deployed a large number of officers to prevent the farmers from entering Chandigarh, setting up barricades at several points along the Ambala-Chandigarh road. Vehicles passing through were thoroughly searched, and anti-riot and CCTV vehicles were stationed in Rajpura by the Punjab Police.
Earlier, farmers claimed that several of their leaders were detained in different parts of Punjab, and some farmers were also held in Ambala and Kurukshetra in Haryana, heightening tensions ahead of their planned protest. Taking matters into their own hands, farmers even laid siege to toll plazas in Amritsar and Tarn Taran in Punjab, demonstrating their discontent over the detention of their leaders. The Sugarcane Sangharsh Samiti and Bhartiya Kisan Union demanded the immediate release of all detained farmer leaders, threatening to escalate their protests if their demands were not met.
The situation escalated further when a farmer died in Sangrur district of Punjab after being run over by a tractor-trolley during a clash between growers and the police over the alleged detention of farm leaders. The family of the deceased demanded the immediate release of the body so that they could move it to a hospital for post-mortem, but the police declined, fearing the family might stage a demonstration.
To address the concerns of the farmers, the Punjab Government released Rs 186 crore as compensation for the crop loss caused by the recent floods. The funds were disbursed to farmers in the affected districts, with advance funds provided to the Deputy Commissioners of 16 districts from the Natural Disaster Relief Fund. A Special Girdawari was conducted in all flood-affected areas to assess the extent of damage, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann fulfilled his promise to the flood victims by initiating the process of handing out compensation checks on August 15.
The protest by the farmers has raised questions about the government’s response to the crop damage caused by the floods. While the release of compensation funds by the Punjab Government may alleviate some concerns, the farmers’ demands for a comprehensive package from the central government remain unaddressed. The detention of farmer leaders and the clashes with police have only added fuel to the fire, leading to increased tensions and the possibility of a larger-scale protest.
As the farmers continue to fight for their rights and compensation, it remains to be seen whether the government will take concrete steps to address their grievances and offer a satisfactory resolution. The coming days will likely determine the course of action as pressure mounts on the authorities to respond to the demands of the protesting farmers and find a way to compensate them adequately for their losses.
