Punjab farmers up in arms

For late sowing of rabi crop farmers would be tempted to clear the fields by burning stubble, further deteriorating air quality

The other day former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh emerged from a long self-imposed exile to commiserate with the Punjab farmers. For his first public appearance in years, he chose the Khanna grain mandi in Ludhiana district to highlight the continuing suffering of farmers on account of tardy procurement of paddy by state agencies. In particular, he targeted the AAP Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for failing to address the problems of farmers, commission agents and aartiyas. The senior leader who is now with the BJP pointedly criticised the AAP leaders for being deaf to farmers' woes, though they were happy egging on their protests only a couple of years ago against the Modi government. The former CM undertook to take up the grievances of the farmers with the prime minister.