Punjab Farmers Signal 2020-Style Mass Agitation Against Proposed Central Bills
More than 5,000 farmers affiliated with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) convened today and issued a strong warning to the Central Government, threatening a renewed mass agitation reminiscent of the 2020–21 farmers’ protest. The warning comes in response to the Centre’s proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, expected to be tabled in the upcoming parliamentary session.
At the gathering, SKM leaders announced that the coalition would hold a crucial meeting of its constituent unions on November 28 to finalise the future course of action. Alongside the withdrawal of the Electricity Bill, the farmers demanded scrapping of the proposed Seeds Bill, rollback of the four labour codes, and withdrawal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which they described as steps toward “greater centralisation.”
BKU (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal called upon farmers to prepare for another prolonged protest, emphasising, “Be prepared for a new battle, and it’s more serious this time.”
BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan criticised the Electricity Bill as a pathway to corporate control of power distribution, citing smart chip meters as indicators of impending privatisation. He added that the proposed Seeds Bill would open the door for multinational corporations to dominate India’s seed market, including through controversial hybrid varieties.
BKU (Ekta-Dakaunda) president Buta Singh Burjgill warned that farmers were being pushed “to a point of no return,” echoing rising concerns about shrinking autonomy and agricultural control.
The gathering unanimously passed a resolution listing these demands and reaffirmed the unions’ commitment to resist policies they believe threaten farmers’ livelihoods and India’s agricultural sovereignty.
