Amid ongoing protests by the farmers over various demands, including Minimum Support Price (MSP), Punjab farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher stated on Saturday that they have not received any message from the Centre government for talks to resolve their issues. He announced that a group of 101 farmers will again launch their march to Delhi on December 8.
Farmers had to suspend their foot march on Friday to Delhi for the day when some of them suffered injuries due to tear gas fired by security personnel, who restricted them at the Punjab-Haryana border. Security measures being enhanced at Delhi-Haryana Shambhu border ahead of renewed attempt by farmers to reach the national capital.
#WATCH | Ambala, Haryana: Security measures being enhanced at Delhi-Haryana Shambhu border where the farmers are protesting over various demands.
According to farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, a ‘Jattha’ of 101 farmers will march towards Delhi on 8 December at 12 noon. pic.twitter.com/8iHsIy2FQY
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2024
While addressing at Shambhu on the Punjab-Haryana border on Saturday, Pandher confirmed that 16 farmers suffered injuries and one of them lost hearing ability after tear gas was fired, according to news agency PTI.
“We have not received any message from the Centre for holding talks. The (Narendra) Modi government is in no mood to hold talks, ” he said adding that except four injured, the rest of them have been discharged from hospital.
He added that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have planned for a group of 101 farmers to march peacefully toward the national capital on Sunday afternoon.
The ‘jatha’ was restricted by multilayered barricading, however, the farmers put an efforts to force their way through the barricades but were stopped by security personnel to go back to their protest site at Shambhu, which comes in Punjab.
BJP Govt At Centre Has Been “Exposed”: Sarwan Singh Pandher
Reacting over the actions by the security personnels, Pandher said the BJP government at the Centre has been “exposed”. “What did they do yesterday? People are angry with this action. People are asking the BJP since the farmers were not taking tractor-trolleys along with them then why they were not allowed to move ahead,” Pandher stated.
Another farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continued his hunger strike at the Khanauri border, with farmers reporting that he has lost eight kilograms during the protest.
On Friday, Pandher stated that they had urged the government to either engage in dialogue with the protesting farmers or allow them to proceed to Delhi. However, Haryana Police accused the protesters of causing disruptions and attempting to dismantle barricades erected on the Haryana side of the border.
Ahead of the farmers’ planned march, the Haryana government suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 11 villages of the Ambala district until December 9. The farmers had previously tried to march toward Delhi on February 13 and 21 but were blocked by security forces at the border.
Drone visuals from the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu Border showed heavy barricading as the farmers are protesting over various demands including legal guarantee of MSP.
#WATCH | Drone visuals from the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu Border where the farmers are protesting over various demands.
According to farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, a ‘Jattha’ of 101 farmers will march towards Delhi on 8 December at 12 noon. pic.twitter.com/xHEkyo9aMX
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2024
In addition to demanding a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are seeking a waiver of farm debt, pensions for farmers and labourers, a freeze on electricity tariff hikes, the withdrawal of police cases against farmers, and justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Other demands include reinstating the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and providing compensation to families of farmers who died during the 2020–21 protests.