Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) staged protests at three locations in Kapurthala district on Wednesday, burning effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump to press for the immediate cancellation of the proposed Indo-US trade deal.
At Talwandi Chaudhrian bridge near Sultanpur Lodhi, around 30 to 35 KMSC activists gathered under the leadership of district president Sarwan Singh Baupur and held an effigy-burning programme between 10.30 am and 11.00 am. The protesters raised slogans against the Centre’s trade policies and expressed concern that the proposed agreement could adversely affect the interests of farmers and workers. Similar demonstrations were organised at Nadala Chowk in Bholath, where about 25 to 30 KMSC members, led by Nishan Singh, president of the Nadala Zone, burnt effigies and voiced opposition to the trade deal. Another protest was held at village Ibban under the leadership of Paramjit Singh, president of the Kot Karar Khan Zone, where around 30 to 35 members participated in the demonstration and reiterated the demand for scrapping the proposed agreement.
The protesters alleged that the Indo-US trade deal would benefit multinational corporations at the cost of the farming community and rural economy. They urged the Union Government to withdraw from any such agreement that could negatively impact agricultural interests.
Police and civil authorities remained vigilant during the demonstrations. Officials reported that all three programmes concluded peacefully and no untoward incident was reported. The law and order situation remained completely under control throughout the protests.
