Farmers have embarked on their third march to Delhi, amid rising tensions along the way. At the Shambhu border, Haryana police used tear gas shells, resulting in injuries to several farmers who were later taken to the hospital.
The situation has deteriorated as farmers engaged in a standoff with the police for about half an hour before attempting to break barricades. In response, cops utilized tear gas and water cannons, leading to injuries among nine farmers.
Starting their journey at noon, a group of 101 farmers departed from the Shambhu border between Haryana and Punjab. Police have been working to prevent their passage over a bridge spanning the Ghaggar River.
Farmers have raised serious allegations, claiming that the police are using explosive devices and projectiles from a rocket launcher, as well as contaminated water from the Ghaggar River, to disperse the crowd.
The peasants have been trying since December 6 to march to the national capital to advocate for various demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price. They made two attempts on December 6 and December 8 but were not allowed to proceed by security personnel in Haryana.
In response to the protests, the Haryana government has suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 12 villages in Ambala until December 17, citing the need to maintain public peace. This order applies to villages including Dangdehri, Lehgarh, and Manakpur, among others.
The order to suspend mobile internet in Dangdehri, Lehgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Choti Ghel, Lharsa, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar (Hira Nagar, Naresh Vihar), Saddopur, Sultanpur and Kakru villages in Ambala was issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order.
A multi-layered barricading was done by the Haryana security personnel to prevent farmers from marching towards Delhi.
The Ambala district administration has already enforced a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) that bans the unlawful assembly of five or more people in the district.
The Ambala police had earlier said the farmer outfits can march to Delhi only after getting permission from the national capital administration.
Nevertheless, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Saturday said the group of farmers will proceed towards Delhi.
The farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and KMM have been pressing for various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). They have also been pressing the Centre to initiate talks with them to address their issues.
Farmers under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and KMM have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Besides a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands.
Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s fast unto death at the Khanauri border point entered the 19th day on Saturday. Doctors have already recommended his hospitalisation, saying because of the prolonged fast, he has turned weak.
However, the protesting farmers have formed a security ring around Dallewal so that the state authorities could not remove him from the protest site.
The Punjab Police had forcibly removed Dallewal from the Khanauri border point on November 26, just hours before he was going to start his fast unto death.
On Friday, SKM leader Rakesh Tikait met Dallewal and also called for unity of farmers’ groups for a “joint fight”.
