PUNJAB state Kisan Sabha organised an impressive state level rally on issues relating to peasantry in Punjab to commemorate birth centenary of Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet at  Bhasaur village (Dhuri)  in Sangrur district. 

Hanan Mollah, general secretary, All India Kisan Sabha  while addressing the rally said that due to anti-peasantry policies of the successive governments, agriculture has become a loss making profession due to which peasantry has come under heavy debts. Peasants who are unable to pay their debts are committing suicides in large numbers. He further said that more than 3.19 lakh peasants have committed suicides. Mollah told the gathering that during the Congress rule, Swaminathan Committee was formed under pressure by Left Parties which has recommended 50 percent more than the cost of input as the minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce but the Modi government despite its promise in election manifesto has refused to implement it and has given an affidavit in the court.  He declared that state level rallies will be organised all over the country in front of state assemblies under the banner ‘Save Peasant, Save Land’ and a national rally would be organised infront of parliament in New Delhi on February 24, 2015.

Jitendra Chaudhury, Lok Sabha MP from Tripura and executive member of All India Kisan Sabha condemned the anti-peasantry policies of the central government. He expressed serious concern over the deteriorating situation where a peasant is committing suicide every 30 minutes in the country. He criticised the Modi government for making a cut of Rs 46 crores in the agriculture budget. He termed it as an irony that the Punjab peasant who feeds the nation is unable to feed his own family.

Gurchetan Singh Bassi, president and Sukhwinder Sekhon, general secretary of Punjab Kisan Sabha while addressing the rally demanded a compensation of Rs 40 thousand per acre to the farmers whose crops have been destroyed by hailstorm and rains. They demanded immediate payment of Rs 134 crore 80 lakh pending arrears of cane growers along with interest.  Sekhon demanded that procurement price of cane be fixed at Rs 400 per quintal.  He declared that Punjab Kisan Sabha will gherao Punjab assembly during the next session of assembly.

Major Singh Punnawal, Bhoop Chand Channo, Bant Singh Namol, Sukhdev Singh Bari, Joginder Singh Aulakh, ex MLA, Chand Singh Chopra, Amrik Singh Kanjhla and other state level leaders also addressed the rally.

Earlier the leaders of SFI, DYFI, All India Agricultural Workers Union went to the railway station to receive Hannan Mollah and Jitendra Chaudhury.  They addressed a press conference at the railway station.