Hoshiarpur/Daljeet Ajnoha/July 9 : In response to the nationwide strike call given by central trade unions and public organizations, a large protest rally was organized in Block Mahilpur. The protest was led by pensioners’ leader Sohan Singh Bhoonno, Block President Narinder Ajnoha, farmer leader Talwinder Singh Heer, and Malkeet Singh Bahowal. The rally began at the local vegetable market, where a large gathering of citizens voiced their concerns against the anti-people policies of the central and state governments.
Addressing the rally, leaders including Makhan Singh Langeri, Jasvir Singh, Sher Jung Bahadur Singh (District Leader of CPI (ML) Liberation), Surinder Singh, Amarjeet Kumar (Nangal Khilauriyan), Paramjeet Katib, and Kamaljeet Kharaudi accused the Modi-led central government of spreading religious extremism, discriminating against minorities, saffronizing the education system, favoring corporate interests, and tampering with labor laws and the Constitution. They stated that these actions are destroying the country’s rich Ganga-Jamuni culture and creating an atmosphere of hatred, which peace-loving citizens of India will not tolerate.
The leaders further said that just like the central government, the Punjab government under Bhagwant Mann is also economically exploiting employees, pensioners, laborers, and common working-class people. They raised several key demands, including the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, regularization of all contractual workers, an immediate halt to privatization, a written guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops, release of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and Pay Commission arrears, reinstatement of 37 withdrawn allowances, and implementation of the 2.59 multiplier formula for pensioners. They emphasized that these demands are legitimate and overdue and must be fulfilled without delay.
Protestors warned that governments that take anti-people decisions cannot withstand the power of united public struggles for long. They called on both the central and state governments to immediately accept the demands of employees, pensioners, and the general public.
Following a peaceful protest march through the city, demonstrators briefly blocked traffic at the main chowk as a mark of protest. A large number of justice-loving citizens including Manjinder Singh Halluwal, Harvinder Singh, Baldev Raj Virdi, Satnam Singh, Sagli Ram, Balbir Singh, Varinder Sharma, Kuldeep Singh, Surinder Singh, Gurnam Chand, Omkar Singh, Harkesh Kumar, Mahinder Pal, Amarjeet Singh, Harjeet Singh, Baldev Dhakko, Ram Asra, Davinder Singh, Lal Singh, Parvinder Singh, Somanath, Om Dutt, Bhagwant Rai, Chanan Ram, Lachhman Singh, Tarsem Lal, Bahadur Singh, Rajinder Kumar Jejon, Rampal, Amarveer Kaur, Baljinder Kaur, Surinder Kaur, Binder Mohan, Pradeep Kaur, Pradyuman Gautam, Jasveer Kaur, Asha Rani, and many others were present in support of the protest.
