Thousands of farmers camping at the Punjab-Haryana borders will continue their protest until all their demands are met, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said adding that the agitation may continue even after the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls comes into effect. The farmers have paused their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders until February 29, however, their sit-in protest continued for the 13th day on Sunday.
Meanwhile, authorities in Delhi have initiated the process to partially reopen the Singhu and the Tikri borders with Haryana, almost two weeks after these were sealed in view of the farmers’ protest. Mobile internet services, which were suspended on Sunday in seven districts of Haryana, have also been restored.
Thousands of farmers have been camping on the Punjab-Haryana border near Ambala, about 200 kilometres from Delhi, after their march to the national capital was stopped by security personnel.
FARMERS PROTEST: LATEST UPDATES
- Speaking on Sunday, Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers will continue their sit-in protest at Shambhu and Khanauri borders in Haryana till February 28, and they will decide their next course of action on February 29. He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on “whatever is happening with the farmers.”
- “Today is the 13th day of the morchas at Shambhu and Khanauri. Today, we will have a convention on both borders as there will be a discussion on WTO. We have demanded that the farming sector should be taken out of WTO…We will hold a press conference in the evening…On the morning of 26th Feb, biers of WTO, corporate houses and governments will be burned; in the afternoon, at both borders over 20ft tall effigies will be burned. On 27th Feb, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, SKM (non-political) will hold a meeting of all its leaders from across the country. On 28th Feb, both forums will sit and hold a discussion. On 29th Feb, the next steps will be decided…We are asking PM Modi to speak on whatever is happening with the farmers,” he said.
- Meanwhile, Delhi Police has said that one lane of the service lane at the Singhu border and one lane at the Tikri border are being opened to allow vehicular movement. The partial reopening of the two border points will bring relief to commuters travelling from Delhi to Haryana.
- The two border points were sealed on February 13 as protesting farmers from Punjab began their “Delhi Chalo” march to press the Centre for their demands, including a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops and farm loan waiver.
- According to a police officer, the decision was taken after the protesting farmers announced a halt to the march till the end of this month. “The situation will remain under watch and, if required, the borders may be shut again,” he said.
- Multi-layer concrete barricades reinforced with nails and barbed wires and trucks filled with sand and boulders were set up at these two border points to prevent the entry of the protesting farmers. The barricades are being removed with cranes and drilling machines, an officer said and added that the process may take hours. Locals staying at the border points have been facing problems due to the closure for the past two weeks.
- Another police officer said the situation at the Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh) border will remain the same as the lanes under the flyover will continue to be shut.
- Agitating farmers on Saturday evening took out candlelight marches on the interstate borders of Punjab and Haryana to support their demands, comprising legal guarantee of the minimum support price of their crops.
- On Friday, Haryana police fired teargas shells in a clash with protesting farmers in Hisar in a bid to prevent them from marching towards Khanauri. The police claimed that over 30 policemen sustained serious injuries in the clash. Residents claimed that some farmers also sustained injuries in the clash, which the police denied.
- The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation to put pressure on the Centre to accept their demands, including a law on minimum support price (MSP) for crops and a farm loan waiver.
- Protesting farmers from Punjab taking part in the march have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauli border points of the state’s border with Haryana since February 13, when their march was stopped by security personnel.
