A state rally and public meeting was held by Pendu Mazdoor Union (Rural Labourers Union-PMU) at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall, Jalandhar on 2nd December 2002. Thousands of agricultural workers from all over the state attended. The public meeting was held in the open ground near the Hall. This rally was held to remind the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt. Amrinder Singh, of the promises he made during the assembly election.

Addressing the rally, leaders of PMU explained that during the last 55 years since the demise of British rule, agricultural workers are condemned to live in abysmal conditions. Social and economic equality, progress and prosperity still remain dreams for them. Many of them are facing conditions resembling bonded labour. They continue to face social oppression. Social boycott in village Punia (Patiala) and Todarwal (Kapurthala) are telling examples of it. In the rally, there were people from Amritsar district whose houses had been locked by the landlord because, despite the whole family working for the landlord, they remain indebted to him. Administration is also helping these feudal elements.

Comrades explained that with the ‘New’ Economic Policies dictated by imperialism and WTO education, health and other public services has gone out of reach of the agricultural labourers. Ruling classes, in order to divert the people from the path of struggle, are resorting to communal frenzy as in Gujarat. In a separate resolution, Repression against dalits in Dullena in Haryana was also condemned. The rally was addressed by Com. Gurdev Singh (PMU President), Avtar Singh Dhaliwal (PMU General Secretary), Tarsem Peter (PMU Secretary)and other leaders of PMU.

Later demonstrators marched through the streets of Jalandhar and submitted a memorandum to the state Govt. Demands in the memorandum included guarantee of work throughout the year and unemployment allowance based on minimum wage linked to price index, free domestic electricity supply, remission of loans, dwelling plots of 5 marlas, old-age, widow and handicapped pension equal to minimum wage, abolition of siri system, provision for special loans and stoppage of oppression and repression against dalits etc.