FAISALABAD - Thousands of farmers of 51-GB and 52-GB chaks, Samundri, took-out a big protest rally on Monday against the government’s callousness towards compensation to those farmers whose crops were completely swept away by the 2010 flood. The rally was led by Rana Waqar Ahmed, Kamliel Dogar, Rana Nasir Manj, Rana Muhammad Hanif, Rana Waheed, Ch Hameed Rashid, Ch Shahbaz Gill, Lumberdar Agistan, Shamoon Stefan, Roban Lal and Dr Patrick.
The procession was taken out under the auspices of the Flood Victims’ Action Committee. Participants of the rally staged a 2-hour sit-in in front of the Faisalabad Press Club and also blocked University Road for an hour and later staged a sit-in in front of the DCO Office demanding him to negotiate with the protesting farmers. The participants of the rally also beat their chests to express resentment against the government’s lukewarm response.
Leaders of the Flood Victims Action Committee announced that their members, along with their families and children would start a countrywide movement and also besiege the President House in Islamabad and CM House in Lahore if their demands were not acceded to. They vowed to continue their protest movement till the acceptance of their just demands.The FVAC leaders further demanded that both the villages affected by the torrential rains and floods in 2010 should be declared “calamity-affected” and flood-hit farmers be exempted from revenue and abiana.