SHAMBHU: The protesting farmers suspended their Dilli Chalo foot march for the day after seventeen of them suffered injuries in tear gas shelling by Haryana Police at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital in ambulances stationed at the protest site.
The farmers have announced a tractor march on December 16 and “rail roko" protest in Punjab on December 18.
Farmer leader and convener of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the two forums Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have decided to call back the group of 101 farmers after the incident.
Soon after walking for a few metres from their protest site at the Shambhu border, the group of 101 farmers was stopped at the barricade by Haryana police and paramilitary forces. Police personnel lobbed tear gas shells and used water cannons. Pandher alleged that this time water mixed with chemicals was used to disperse the farmers and more teargas shells were used.
Farmer leader Manjit Singh Rai alleged that rubber bullets were also used by security personnel and one farmer was seriously injured. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Ambala Cantonment) Rajat Gulia denied this allegation.
This was the third attempt by protesting farmers to march towards the national capital. Farmers had made two attempts on December 6 and December 8 but were stopped by Haryana Police. They have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after the Haryana police stopped their marches to Delhi.
The farmers are pressing the Centre for various demands including a legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops, debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. The farmers were adamant on going to Delhi and urged the security personnel to proceed.
Earlier, Ambala Deputy Commissioner Parth Gupta and Ambala Superintendent of Police S S Bhoria talked with some protesting farmers for over half an hour, trying to convince them to get permission from Delhi to go towards the national capital.
Superintendent of Police of Amabla S S Bhoria told the farmers that they should get permission from the authorities concerned if they intend to protest in Delhi. " We will ourselves help you reach there," he said.
"We are peacefully marching on foot, therefore, we should be allowed to proceed. We want the government should listen to the problems of farmers and labourers. We want to go to Delhi peacefully," said a farmer leader.