Shambhu, Dec 8:
Protesting farmers on Sunday afternoon suspended their foot march to Delhi for the day after some of them suffered injuries in tear gas shelling by Haryana security personnel here along the state’s border with Punjab.
Farmer leader from Punjab Sarwan Singh Pandher said at least eight farmers were injured and one of them was rushed to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh. “We have called back the ‘jatha’ (group of 101 farmers),” he told reporters here.
Pandher said the farmers would decide their next course of action after a meeting of their forums — the Samyuka Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
The ‘jatha’ resumed its foot march from the farmers’ Shambhu protest site earlier in the afternoon but was soon halted by multilayered barricading erected by Haryana security personnel. Tear gas shells were lobbed at the protesting farmers and water jets were used as well to disperse them after they reached the barricades.
The group, dubbed as ‘marjeevras’ (someone willing to
‘Delhi Chalo’ suspended
die for a cause), was marching for a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price before being stopped only a few metres away.
First flowers then tear gas shells
Police sprinkled flower petals on the farmers as they neared multi-layered barricades at the Shambhu border point between Haryana and neighbouring Punjab on Sunday. However, after the farmers refused to stop the foot march, security personnel lobbed teargas shells to disperse them.
The teargas shells forced the farmers, some of whom had covered their faces and were wearing protective eyewear, to get back a few metres. Some were seen covering the shells with wet jute bags.
Earlier at noon, a group of 101 farmers resumed their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march from the Shambhu protest site to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).
However, after walking for a few metres, they were stopped at the barricades installed by Haryana Police. Visuals from Shambhu showed a group of farmers beginning their march towards Delhi with security forces deployed behind the massive barricades installed on a bridge. The farmers reached the barricades where they were seen speaking to the police officials asking them to allow the group to march ahead.
The police officers deployed near the protest site asked the farmers to show them the requisite permission to take out the foot march.
DSP Shahabad Ramkumar said they had to use some force as the farmers “attacked them”. “The team has been deployed here since morning…We gave clear instructions that we will check their (farmers) identity and permission and only then will we allow them to move forward…They disagreed…we want them to maintain peace and enter after taking permission…”
The Haryana Police had earlier asked the farmers not to proceed further and cited a prohibitory order clamped by the Ambala administration under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) that bans unlawful assembly of five or more people in the district.
Protesting farmers had on Friday suspended their march to the national capital for the day after some of them suffered injuries due to tear gas shells fired by security personnel, who stopped them at the Punjab-Haryana border.
On Saturday, farmer representative Sarwan Singh Pandher said a group of 101 farmers will depart for Delhi at noon on Sunday. Security was tightened at Delhi’s Singhu border as well ahead of the protest march.
“Delhi Police is on alert and security has been tightened at the Singhu border. A skeletal deployment has been made at the Singhu border but it may increase as per the situation at the Shambu border,” PTI reported quoting a senior police officer. The officer said traffic may also be hit due to the security arrangements at the border and in the central part of Delhi.
A strict vigil is also being maintained at the Noida border as another group of farmers from Uttar Pradesh has been protesting there, he added.
Farmers’ Demands
The protesting farmers had earlier attempted to march towards Delhi on February 13 and February 21 but were stopped by security forces deployed at the border points. Besides MSP, the farmers are also demanding a farm debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases (against farmers), and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands.
‘Modi Govt In No Mood For Talks’
On Sunday, farmer-leader Pandher said 16 farmers suffered injuries and one of them lost hearing ability because of the teargas shelling by Haryana security personnel on Friday.
Except for four injured farmers, the rest of them have been discharged from hospital, Pandher added. “We have not received any message from the Centre for holding talks. The (Narendra) Modi government is in no mood to hold talks.”
On Friday, protesting farmers suspended their march to the national capital for the day after some of them suffered injuries due to tear gas shells fired by security personnel, who stopped them at the Punjab-Haryana border. The farmers have been pressing for various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).
