Farmers, demanding MSP guarantee and loan waivers, to resume ‘Delhi chalo’ today
Two days after halting the ‘Dilli Chalo’ [march to Delhi] agitation, protesting farmers have planned to again attempt to enter the national capital from the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana to press for their demands, which include a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and loan waivers.
On Friday, December 6, a ‘jatha’ of 101 farmers began to march towards Delhi from their protest site at the Shambhu border but was stopped a few metres away by multilayered barricading erected by Haryana security personnel. The farmers called off their protest after several protesters were reportedly injured in tear gas shelling by thr police at the Shambhu border.
The farmer leaders, however, asserted that the march will be held again on December 8 if the Centre fails to engage with them in talks by tomorrow.
Farmers’ Dilli Chalo protest
A total of 101 farmers who were part of the jatha “marjeevras” (someone willing to die for a cause) on Friday began marching towards Delhi to press the Centre for a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. Besides MSP, the farmers are also demanding farm loan 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.
Hours after starting the march, protesting farmers suspended it for the day after some of them suffered injuries due to tear gas shells at the Punjab-Haryana border. A farmer leader claimed that five to six farmers were injured due to the tear gas shelling. Sarwan Singh Pandher later announced the suspension of the march for the day and said the injured farmers were taken to a hospital.
The farmers, gathered under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been demanding that the Centre give them a legal guarantee for MSP. They have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, when their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
The farmer leaders on Friday held a press conference where they announced that a group of 101 farmers would march towards Delhi on December 8 at 12 noon if the government does not engage in talks by tomorrow.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, speaking at the Shambhu border, said they would wait until tomorrow for discussions with the government. “We will wait till tomorrow for talks with the government, otherwise, a ‘Jatha’ of 101 farmers will march towards Delhi on 8 December at 12 noon,” he said.
The Haryana government on Friday suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS service in 11 villages of Ambala district till December 9. The ban was enforced in Dangdehri, Lohgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Lhars, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar, Saddopur, Sultanpur and Kakru villages.