Farmers to make another attempt to march to Delhi on Sunday

With no invitation from the Union government for talks, protesting farmer unions will make another attempt to march to the National Capital from the Shambhu border on Sunday afternoon to press for a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) and other agrarian demands.

A group of 101 farmers, pegged “marjeevdas” (those ready to sacrifice their lives), would lead the march. This group comprises farmers and leaders from the first group that had attempted to reach Delhi on Friday but were stopped by Haryana police through barricading and use of teargas shells. As many as 15 farmers were injured in the police action, following which the march was called off for 48 hours.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, SKM convener Sarvan Singh Pandher said, “We waited for the Union government’s invitation for talks, but we didn’t get any. We will again try to march to the National Capital again. This time too, our farmers will be on foot, and undefended.”

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He added that they had given their demand charter to senior Haryana police officials on Friday when they were stopped at the Shambhu barrier. Pandher said that Haryana police officials had then conveyed to them that they would send the demand charter to the Centre for a dialogue.

Meanwhile, the farmers are questioning the selective implementation of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), formerly Section 144 of CrPC, banning the unlawful assembly of five or more people, in Ambala.

Farmer leader Guramneet Mangat said the Ambala administration stopped farmers from proceeding, invoking Section 163 of BNSS, even as musical nights, where hundreds of people gathered, took place without restrictions.

“The implementation of Section 163 of BNSS is being selectively used by the Ambala administration. The only reason behind the imposition of Section 163 of BNSS is to stop farmers from proceeding further,” said Mangat.

Haryana DGP asks his Punjab counterpart to not allow media near Shambhu

Karnal Haryana director general of police Shatrujeet Kapur asked his Punjab counterpart Gaurav Yadav to keep mediapersons at a safe distance, a minimum of one kilometre away from the protest site.

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In his letter marked “most urgent”, Kapur said that when ‘jatha’ of farmers approached the Haryana border on Friday, many media persons were also accompanying them despite an earlier request to not allow them near the protest site.

“Due to this, Haryana Police faced a lot of problems in handling the law-and-order situation at the border. Hence, you are again requested to ensure that media are stopped at a safe distance, a minimum of 1 km in the interest of their safety and their equipment,” he said.