CHANDIGARH: Haryana farmers and police clashed at Shahabad on Tuesday after protesting farmers blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh GT Road, demanding that the BJP-led government immediately begin paddy procurement at state-run procurement centres.
Hundreds of farmers under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) had gathered since morning near the Shaheed Udham Singh Memorial, close to the GT Road. They attempted to cross police barricades erected to stop them. Some farmers broke through the barricades and reached the highway, bringing traffic to a halt, but were later removed.
Police first used water cannons to disperse the protesters. When the farmers refused to move, police fired tear-gas shells. Following the police action, the farmers began a dharna on Barara Road, maintaining that the government should immediately begin procuring paddy. Police later said regular traffic on National Highway-44 had been restored.
The farmers had earlier asked the Haryana government to begin paddy procurement from September 15. The procurement process generally begins in the state on October 1, while last year it started on September 22.
A meeting between BKU (Charuni) leader Gurnam Singh Charuni and Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena continued for around one-and-a-half hours but failed to resolve the issue. BKU (Charuni) leaders said the protesting farmers then marched towards the GT Road.
BKU (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni alleged that police had detained several protesters. "Farmers had been demanding timely procurement of their produce, but the police used water cannon and tear gas to stop them. Several farmers suffered injuries. We have decided to keep staging a dharna till the procurement is started,’’ he said.
Charuni said, that despite repeated requests, the government has failed to start the procurement and the farmers are left with no other choice but to start an agitation. "Every year the paddy farmers are forced to block the National Highway to get the paddy procurement started. The arrivals have started turning heavy at the grain markets but the procurement is not being started. The state government had sent a letter to the Central Government seeking early paddy procurement. We were assured that the procurement would begin, but nothing happened,’’ he said.
