Closure of Adani Cement plants: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait to address Mahapanchayat at Darlaghat

Fifty three days old Protest by the Darlaghat and Bharmana cement Truckers unions succeeded to convert the agitation into a mass movement against Adani Cement and Narendra Modi government as All India Motor Transport Congress and Bharatiya Kissan Union leader Rakesh Tikait shown their solidarity behind the movement. Talking to us , president of Himachal Pradesh Kissan Sabha Dr Kuldeep Singh Tanwar informed that after the sudden closure of two cement factories at Dadla in district Solan and Barmana in district Bilaspur on 14 December 2022 by the Adani group, truck operators garner support from all Political parties including Ruling Congress, CPI(M) and even BJP state leaders but since marathon rounds of talks Adani Cement did not shown keeness to end the stand off despite being directed by the Himachal Pradesh Government.

Around 7000 Truck operators and land loser in the two Cement plant who were enrolled by the previous cement plants management in the Transport business are protesting against the closure of Barmana and Ambujaja cement plants. They now decided to hold a mahapanchayat at Dadlaghat on 20 February. On February 3 a final round of talks was held between Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and truck operators but it failed. The Sukhu government has sought two days from the operators to negotiate with the Adani group on the freight proposed by the operators. Dr Kuldeep Singh Tanwar said that nothing is known about what the government did to end the deadlock as it could not directly involved representative of Adani group to talk table . Dr Tanwar said that if state government didn’t able to resolved the extended issue a joint front of farmers unions and truckers could give call a mahapanchayat which may be held on the 20th.

Darlaghat Truck Federation President Ram Krishna Sharma said that teams would be move from village to village to galvanized the support of people on the issue. Currently truck operators is keeping the movement highly peaceful as they daily giving court arrests and holding torchlight processions and dharna demonstrations out side the looked plants and Bilaspur and Darlaghat market. A Chakka jam call given by the truck union of February 4, was withdrawn as operators believe that the government is with them, so against whom would protest. On the other hand, President of Bilaspur Truck Union, Rakesh Thakur said that the Chief Minister had asked for two days time. The operators are waiting for two days. He said that the operators would wait till this Sunday and the future strategy would be discussed in the meeting to be held tomorrow. Meanwhile Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has issued instructions to Revenue, Industry and mining and District Administration to prepare a dossier of information to meet with stand off with tough action however Opposition BJP has blaming the Congress government to pedal soft with Corporate house to end the deadlock but instead of blaming Adani Cement plants or truckers it was terming it big failure of new government. Local BJP Legislator from Bilaspur has given a media statement that issue of Adani Cement plants triggered after Adani group and Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met on December 13 and 14 2022. He said that not only a single notice was issued by state government to Corporate house. However BJP is silent on the acquisition of both cement plants in the state during its last government. The previous BJP government could not feign ignorance of such massive Corporate deals happened in 2022 as Second biggest cement industry in the country acquired by the Adani Cement. BJP didn’t made any public disclosure on the issue if its previous rule issued no objection certificate to acquire the both Cement plants. Corporate deals happened in the country in the state election year. Truckers union are also sought intervention from BJP president J P Nadda and BJP member of Parliament Mr Anurag Thakur and Suresh Kashyap. But till so far BJP is not opening its cards if it is keen to resolve the issue which relate to Country ‘s biggest sector of construction Economy. It is not cake walk for the both the ruling party in state and center to resolve this issue and ignore the interest of truckers in the state.