CHANDIGARH: The Delhi Chalo march was suspended for the day on Sunday after eight farmers were injured by tear gas shells fired by Haryana police, who thwarted yet another attempt by protesters to cross the Punjab-Haryana border.
Farmer leaders said they will decide the next course of action on Monday.
Earlier in the day, a group of 101 farmers (Jatha), wearing face masks and eye gear to shield themselves from tear gas, resumed their foot march to the national capital from the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana.
However, after walking for a few metres from their protest site the farmers were stopped at the barricading by Haryana Police and were asked to show the requisite permission to take out the foot march.
Following a heated argument between the framers, the Haryana police personnel began using pepper spray and tear gas shells after a few farmers attempted to pull out the iron mesh fencing.
Due to strong winds, the smoke from the tear gas shells is also caused problems for the police personnel. The farmers were sitting close to the cemented wall holding flags and arranged water bottles, salt, and jute bags to save them from the impact of tear gas.
Notably, the protesting farmers have been urging the Union government to provide a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
In addition to MSP, their demands include a farm debt waiver, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, no increase in electricity tariffs, withdrawal of police cases against farmers, and justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
In a symbolic gesture, police had earlier sprinkled flower petals on farmers at the site before deploying barricades and using tear gas shells to block their advance. Moreover, to placate the protesting farmers, tea and biscuits were being offered to them at the Shambhu border over Ghaggar River. But the protesters claimed it was all a "drama" as the police soon lobbed teargas shells and used water jets to disperse them when they insisted on crossing the Shambhu border.
"The police are asking for identity cards, but they should give a guarantee that they would allow us to go to Delhi. They say that there is no permission to go to Delhi, then why we should give the identity cards. We will give identity cards if they allow us to go to Delhi,” said a farmer.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said at least eight farmers were injured and one of them was rushed to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) at Chandigarh.
"We have called back the 'jatha'. We would decide their next course of action after a meeting of both forums -- the Samyuka Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha," he said.
Pandher added that police showering flowers and offering biscuit and tea was merely a gimmick and claimed that police used rubber bullets at the protesters. He also alleged that the flowers had been laced with chemicals.
"It is sad how chemicals were present in flowers; thus many were injured. It’s wrong how they attacked by luring us," Pandher said.
Meanwhile, today's ‘jatha’ consists of relatively young farmers.
Deputy Superintendent of Police of Haryana Police Varinder Kumar said the action was taken after the protesting farmers started pulling the iron mesh which is the last line of defence. He claimed that farmer leaders shared a list of 101 farmers but around 300 farmers reached near the fence. “ The police had to maintain law and order and we just followed orders. The action was taken as few farmers took law in their hand,” he added.
Earlier in the day following a written application from the Haryana police to their Punjab counterparts, the state Public Relations department has been asked to ensure that media stays away from the Shambhu border to avoid any injuries. But the Punjab Police has faced the farmers’ ire as police personnel tried to stop the media around 600 metres away from the barricades. The farmer leaders, farmers have sat on dharna asking the police to allow media to reach the border.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that media has been deliberately kept away from the Shambhu border so that they could not report the atrocities being inflicted upon farmers.
Farmers under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha restarted their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march today.
