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Published 11:17 IST, December 8th 2024

Farmers Resume 'Delhi Chalo' March from Shambhu Border, Heavy Deployment of Security

After halting their protest for a day, farmers march towards Shambhu Border today from 12 noon today; heavy security has been deployed, traffic is likely.

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Farmers Protest March to Delhi from Shambhu Border Today
Farmers Protest March to Delhi from Shambhu Border Today | Image: Republic

Chandigarh: Farmers have been protesting for the fulfilment of their many demands including legal guarantee for MSP. After halting their protest for a day to talk to the government, the farmers have restart their march to the national capital at 12 noon today. Security has been beefed up and traffic jams are likely due to the protest.

Farmers Protest from Shambhu Border to Delhi Resumes Today

Farmer leader Tejveer Singh on Sunday said the 'jatha' (group) of farmers will march towards the national capital. A group of 101 farmers will resume their foot march to Delhi at 12 noon on Sunday from the Shambhu border point to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary has been made at the Shambhu border, which falls in Punjab

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.

Why Are the Farmers Protesting?

The farmers have been pressing for various demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP. They have also been pressing the Centre to initiate talks with them to address their issues. Punjab farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Saturday had said that they had not received any message from the Centre for talks to address their issues.

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. 

Heavy Deployment of Security for Farmers Protest

The Haryana Police has written to its Punjab counterpart asking it to ensure media personnel are stopped at a "safe distance" from the protest site for their safety as well as to ensure ease in maintaining law and order. As part of a call given by the farmer unions Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, a 'jatha' of 101 farmers began its march to Delhi on Friday from their protest site at the Shambhu border to press for their demands.

The group was stopped by multi-layered barricading erected by Haryana security personnel. Undeterred by prohibitory orders, the farmers attempted to force their way through the barricades but were stopped by security personnel who lobbed multiple tear gas shells to force them to go back to their protest site at Shambhu.

The Haryana Police had 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.

Farmers had earlier said that they had appealed to the government to either hold a dialogue with the protesting farmers or "allow us to move to Delhi". However, the Haryana Police had said protesting farmers created ruckus and also made their best efforts to demolish police barricades set up at the Haryana side of the border.

Ambala police had said the farmers' outfits should march to Delhi after taking permission from the Delhi administration. Shortly before the farmers' march, the Haryana government on Friday suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS service in 11 villages of the Ambala district till December 9.

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.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Updated 13:16 IST, December 8th 2024