Yesterday, leaders of farmer unions declared that they will continue with their ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest from March 6 and present a united face against the union government’s deception that the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest is limited to farmers in Punjab and Haryana. On March 3, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher announced that the farmer unions will resume their march to the national capital on March 6 and will also be continuing with the nationwide ‘Rail Roko’ agitation, where the farmers block the rail tracks across the country, from March 10.
“We have decided to march to Delhi on March 6. Meanwhile, on March 10, we will block rail tracks (across the country) from 12 pm to 4 pm,” said Pandher, who is the coordinator of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
The aforementioned update comes after the farmers had paused their “Delhi Chalo” march till February 29 while staying put along the Punjab-Haryana border.
Notably, the announcement was made by Pandher and farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal from Punjab’s Balloh village- the native place of 22-year-old protestor Shubhkaran Singh who died during clashes with the Haryana police on February 21. Singh died due to a head injury sustained allegedly during police action against the farmers at Khanauri on the border of Punjab and Haryana. It was after the final prayer meeting held for Shubhkaran at Balloh that the farmer leaders spoke to the media.
Pandher had previously stated that, “Our morchas at Shambhu and Khanauri are going strong and we have sought more tarpaulin sheets and makeshift tents. More announcements will be made after Shubhkaran’s bhog on Sunday afternoon. I appeal to each and every person in Punjab to join the last prayer meeting at his native village Balloh in Bathinda district.”
The farmers have asserted that their protests will only intensify until their demands are met by the union government. It is essential to note that the farmers had rejected the proposal tabled by the union government on the issue of a minimum support price guarantee. The said proposal had purported that certain promoted cooperative societies would buy three pulse crops, maize, and cotton at MSP for five years after entering into a legal contract with farmers.
In his address with the media, the farmers provided that the famers being Haryana and Punjab are currently camping at the border points between Punjab and Haryana and will resume marching towards Delhi on March 6 in a “peaceful manner”. Pandher and Dallewal stated that the farmers will intensify their agitation at existing protest sites until the Centre meets their demands.
“At Shambhu and Khanauri, the agitation will continue like before and will be further intensified. Our agitation will continue till the demands are met,” Pandher said.
The farmer leaders also emphasised upon the protest not being limited to Punjab or any particular farmer’s outfit.
“The Centre is trying to build a perception that the current agitation is limited to Punjab and the fight is led by only two forums. But we want to make it clear that more than 200 outfits in the country are part of the two forums… The perception being created that the agitation may die down when the Model Code of Conduct for the polls comes into force is not correct. We may have to fight today, tomorrow, but we will continue to fight for our rights,” the farm leader was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
With this, the farmer leaders urged the farmers travelling to Delhi from father states to opt for other means of transport. Doing the same will also clarify the union’s stance on letting the farmers exercise their right to protest as the union government had been justifying their use of force by stating that tractors cannot run on highways. In his address, he also pointed to how farmers from Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu had been stopped by the government while travelling to Delhi on February 13.
“The farmers from far away states, who cannot reach on tractor trolleys, should head to Delhi by trains and by other means of transport. It will also become clear whether the government allows those farmers to enter those farmers who go without tractor trolley”, Pandher said.
He added that all the Punjab panchayats should pass a resolution in support of the farmers’ demands, adding that the union government is employing “all tactics” to stop their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
“On February 13, the Haryana government used tear gas shells, rubber bullets on us…when we wanted to march ahead. They continued it every time we tried to march ahead…They [Centre] are telling us repeatedly that we can go by train or buses to lodge our protests in Delhi instead of tractors. So, on March 6, states other than Punjab and Haryana will march towards Delhi in buses or trains. Let us see if they allow them to reach or not.”
Earlier, Pandher had said that the government was not paying attention to farmers’ demands as the ruling party’s sole focus was on winning the Lok Sabha elections.
“Rather than paying attention to farmers, they are focused on how to win the elections,” Pandher had said as per a report of Indian Express.
Statements by other farmer leaders:
As provided by the Indian Express, the farmer leaders have also assured that the existing dharnas at Shambhu and Khanauri will be strengthened and farmers will also add more numbers at the Dabwali-Bathinda border. As provided in the IE report, Ramandeep Singh Mann, a member of the KMM, said that “We will march to Delhi in a peaceful manner if there is no repression from the Haryana security forces at the borders. Else, we will strengthen the stir at the existing borders and even add more locations, not only in Punjab but in other states as well”.
BKU (Krantikari) general secretary Baldev Singh Zira said, “Our Dilli Chalo call stands as it is but at the same time, we don’t want any more Shubhkarans to die at the hands of security forces. If they allow us to move peacefully, we will march to Delhi. Else we will strengthen our dharna at the borders.”
Jaswinder Singh Longowal, president of BKU-Ekta (Azad), came down strongly upon the union government and the Haryana government for using “oppressive methods” against farmers holding a peaceful protest. “It is not just the question of using teargas or mild lathi-charge… We have seen them use toxic gases and everyone knows how we lost Shubhkaran,” he said, as per the IE report.
HE further added by saying “In a democracy, is it justified that bullets are fired? Our agitation will continue. It will head to victory. At the same time, one thing is clear, we have to save our children from bullets”.
Ranjeet Singh Raju, a farmer leader from Rajasthan who is part of KMM, said, “Farmers from other states will also march to- wards Delhi, so more dharnas are likely to happen in different parts of the country if farmers are stopped.”
What are the union government’s plans?
On Wednesday, March 28, Union agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Arjun Munda had announced that the union government does not have any immediate plan to resume talks with protesting farmers, but it will find a solution soon.
“There is no immediate plan to resume the talks, but the government will soon find a solution to address farmers’ concerns,” Munda had said as per a report in the Livemint. Notably, the last meeting that the union minister, along with Piyush Goyal (Food Minister) and Nityanand Rai (Minister of State for Home Affairs), had held with the famers was on February 18. As the proposal of the union was rejected, no results had come out of it. Prior to the same, the union ministers and farmer leaders had met on February 8, 12 and 15 but the same had remained inconclusive.
Notably, on March 2, the authorities had partially reopened the Singhu and Tikri border points, almost two weeks after those were sealed in view of the farmers’ “Delhi Chalo” march.
It is essential to note that the ANI had recently reported that Punjab is facing a major crisis of diesel and cylinder gas due to the farmers’ protest. Supplies of Diesel and LPG Gas in Punjab are badly hit due to roadblocks and safety issues, a report in the Livemint had provided while citing Ministry Sources.
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