Shambhu, Dec 6: Protesting farmers on Friday suspended their foot march to Delhi 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.
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 on foot to Delhi at 1 pm from their protest site at the Shambhu border to press for various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). The farmers have also been pressing the Centre to initiate talks with them to address their issues.
The ‘jatha’ was stopped a few metres away by multilayered barricading erected by Haryana security personnel. Water cannon vehicles have also been deployed at the Shambhu border point.
The Haryana Police 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.
Undeterred by the prohibitory orders, the farmers attempted to force their way through the barricades but were stopped.
The security personnel lobbed multiple tear gas shells to disperse the protesting farmers and force them to go back to their protest site at Shambhu, which falls in Punjab’s territory.
Several farmers rushed to cover the tear gas shells with wet jute bags to counter the smoke. Many of them were seen uprooting iron nails and barbed wire installed on the road to deter their march.
Chanting ‘Satnam Waheguru’ and holding their union flags, many farmers of the ‘jatha’ crossed the initial layer of barricades easily but could not proceed any further.
A few of them were seen pushing an iron mesh put up by security personnel down the bridge constructed over the Ghaggar River. One of the protesters climbed the roof of a tin shade where security forces had been stationed. He was forced to climb down.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said in the evening that at least eight farmers were injured, two of them seriously, due to the tear gas shells as he slammed the Haryana government for “committing excesses against farmers”. The injured also include farmer leader Surjit Singh Phul.
The injured were taken to a hospital in ambulances stationed at the protest site, the farmer leaders said.
Pandher termed the 101 farmers who were part of the jatha “marjeevras” (someone willing to die for a cause).
He said he believed that some more farmers might have suffered injuries.
“We have called back the ‘jatha’ for today in view of the injuries suffered by a few farmers,” Pandher told reporters here.
“We appeal to the government to either hold a dialogue with us or allow us to move to Delhi. They are behaving as if we are enemies from some other country. Punjabis and the farmers have made maximum sacrifices for the nation,” he said.
He called the “use of force” by Haryana security personnel “unwarranted”. “They have made this place (Shambhu border) like India’s border with Pakistan or China,” Pandher claimed.
On the next course of action, the farmer leader said the ‘jatha’ will now leave for Delhi on Sunday.
“We will wait until tomorrow if any proposal comes for holding talks (from the Centre). Now, whether the Centre wants to hold a dialogue or not will be their decision, we want talks to be held.
“We do not want any confrontation with the Centre and we will keep our (Delhi Chalo) programme peaceful,” he added.
Punjab minister and state president of AAP Aman Arora said the Haryana government’s “blocking roads to Delhi is unconstitutional and inhumane” and appealed to the Centre “to urgently address their (farmers’) demands”.
Authorities in Ambala have ordered the closure of all government and private schools. (PTI)
