Chhavi Bhatia

New Delhi– 169 days after farmers protested on railway tracks against the Centre’s new farm laws near Jandiala railway station in Amritsar, the Kisan Sangharsh Mazdoor Committee(KSMC) suspended its agitation indefinitely on Thursday. The peasants’ body said that the move was prompted in wake of the upcoming harvest season and to further strengthen the farmers’ stir continuing on Delhi borders.

“This is a temporary development. Wheat will be harvested soon. Additionally, we will be adding more manpower to our dharna in Delhi. In case the government does not give in to our demands, the protest on railway tracks will come back,” said Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary, KSMC.

The blockade of tracks had affected rail traffic including passenger and goods trains between Amrtisar and Beas. Due to the farmers taking to the tracks, some of the train were running on an alternative route via Tarn Taran. The services were still being run intermittently due to the protest. While all the farmers’ unions in Punjab had ended their demonstration on the tracks in last week of November, KSMC was the only group in the state that was reluctant in allowing plying of passenger trains on the tracks. They had blocked Amritsar-Delhi track near Jandiala Guru in Amritsar.

The farmers’ protest on the outskirts of Delhi has completed more than 100 days with the peasants now bracing up for the summer season.