Police lobbed multiple rounds of teargas shells to disperse farmers who were approaching the police barricade at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border to resume the ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest….reports Asian Lite News
Police used tear gas to disperse protesters on the second day of the farmers’ stir even as the local people suffered due to traffic jams near the borders, and the farmers’ organisations said they would hold a meeting with the Central government on Thursday to discuss their demands.
Police lobbed multiple rounds of teargas shells to disperse farmers who were approaching the police barricade at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border to resume the ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest on Wednesday.
To ensure law and order, Delhi police have already enforced Section 144, restricting entry of tractor trolleys and large assemblies.
Long traffic jams were seen on Wednesday at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border due to the farmers’ protest and security checks put in place by the authorities.
Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher on Wednesday said that the meeting with the Centre will be held tomorrow at 5 pm and the farmers want to resolve all issues peacefully.
“Even in this position, we are thinking that we will not leave the way of talks. If the Centre comes up with a solution, then we are ready. We don’t want any kind of conflict. We want to resolve all issues through dialogue. The meeting with the Centre will be held at 5 pm tomorrow. We are saying again, that tomorrow also we will sit peacefully,” he said.
Earlier today, Sarwan Singh Pandher requested the government to stop using tear gas and other forces against the protesting farmers and create a cordial atmosphere.
He alleged that the police used self-loading rifle (SLR) with plastic and rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the farmers who were marching to the national capital on Tuesday.
A number of public intellectuals and artists issued a joint statement on Wednesday in support of the joint call by the workers and farmers for a sectoral industrial strike and Grameen Bharat Bandh on February 16.
A total of 34 people signed the joint statement, which appeals to people from all walks of life “to extend all support to this momentous action” of the farmers and the workers.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said he doesn’t think the China border is fortified the way the national capital is, adding that it’s a democratic right of the farmers to protest and to be heard in the national capital.
“It’s a democratic right of the farmers to protest and come and be heard in the national capital. I don’t think the border with China is fortified the way this city is fortified. The government should have learnt a lesson from the previous farmers’ agitation and consult the stakeholders. Last time it took a year-long agitation before the government surrendered and withdrew,” he said.
Akhilesh Yadav criticised the BJP government for “deceiving” farmers. He said that on the one hand, the centre awarded the late farmer leader Chaudhary Charan Singh with Bharat Ratna and on the other hand they have exposed their dictatorship by shedding tear gas shells and lathi charging the protesting farmers.
“The government has shown dictatorship by hammering nails into the vehicles of the farmers,” Akhilesh slammed the centre.
Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, who is also negotiating with farmer leaders, urged the protesters to cooperate and communicate so that common people should not have to suffer and said that in the formation of new laws, there are so many things to consider that the government wants to discuss with the farmer organisations.
Arjun Munda told ANI that the government has assured them (farmers) that all the works of administrative nature will be fast-tracked.
“I would like to urge all the leaders from different farmers’ organisations to cooperate and communicate so that the common people shouldn’t have to suffer. The government is determined in this regard. We have assured them that all the works of administrative nature will be fast-tracked. But in the formulation of new laws, there are so many things to consider. In the coming days, we want to discuss with the farmers’ organisations and look for any possible solutions,” he said.
He further said that the government is completely ready to find a solution through dialogue, but the farmer’s organisations, instead of solving the problems, are only adding to them.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday assured that the government is committed to finding a solution to farmers’ problems but said that technically, the demand for a law (on MSP) is strange as the government cannot form laws now.
“The government is working on the farmers’ issues with sensitivity. Most of their demands have been accepted. Technically, since the Lok Sabha session has ended, the demand for a law is strange. The government cannot form laws now. So those who are saying this should consider that the demand they are making is not even legally possible today. That is why our two ministers have held meetings with the farmers, and the government is committed to further addressing the problems of the farmers and finding a solution within the limits of the Constitution,” he said.
The farmers have put forth 12 demands before the central government for which they’re marching to Delhi. The protest this time has been called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.
According to the protesting farmers, the centre promised them better crop prices, after which they ended the 2021 protest. They are demanding to enact a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission report.
They are also demanding a complete debt waiver and a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.
The farmers have also urged to scrap the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and are demanding to reintroduce the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, ensuring consent from farmers and compensation at 4 times the collector rate.
Further, they are demanding to punish those involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings. An appeal to provide 200 days of employment per year and a daily wage of Rs 700 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA), linking it with farming, has also been made by the farmers.
Also, they have demanded compensation to the families of farmers who died during the protests in 2021 and a job for any family member. (ANI)
Union ministers to meet farmer leaders
Even as farmers continued their protest on interstate borders between Punjab and Haryana for the the third day demanding higher minimum crop prices and waiver of loans, farmer leaders are meeting with three Union ministers — third time — in Chandigarh later Thursday to resolve the issue amicably.
Amid tension on Punjab-Haryana borders, the meeting is likely to take place at 5 pm.
“We will attend with a positive mindset. We will again put forward our demands in front of the ministers,” farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told the media.
“We are confident that a solution will emerge as well. After the meeting we will decide the next course of action,” he said, adding “we want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have a conversation with them (ministers) so that we can reach a solution for our demands. Or else, we should be allowed to protest peacefully in Delhi.”
The leaders will hold talks with Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityananad Rai.
Police have erected several layers of barricades on the Punjab-Haryana borders with tense situations and the traffic is affected.
However, farmer leaders have said they would refrain from advancing towards Delhi on Thursday if there was no teargas shelling from Haryana’s side.
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