Chandigarh, December 14
Farmers are set to resume their ‘Delhi Chalo’ walk on Saturday to press for the fulfillment of their long-pending demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops and loan waiver. The march will see a group of 101 farmers marching towards the national capital.
The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanuri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after security forces blocked their first attempts to move towards Delhi. This dharna is being organized under the banner of United Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, while announcing the march to Delhi, said that the farmers prayed for solidarity at the Sikh shrines and prayed for the success of the movement. Meanwhile, the health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 18 days on the Khanuri border, is getting worse. Doctors treating him have reported weight loss and unstable blood pressure.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Punjab and Central governments to ensure medical assistance to Dallewal, stressing that his life is more important than the agitation. The court also suggested that farmers adopt Gandhian methods of protest.
Security has been beefed up along the inter-state border at the Ghaggar river in anticipation of the march, with central paramilitary forces and Haryana Police deployed. During the first attempt in the march, security forces used tear gas shells to prevent farmers from crossing the barricades. Temporary barricades, heavily guarded by police and paramilitary forces, were set up to restrict their movement. The farmers had temporarily postponed their march on December 8 after being injured as a result of clashes with security personnel at Shambhu.
The Haryana Police had earlier imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Indian Civil Protection Code (BNSS) to justify their actions to stop the protesters from advancing. Despite this, the farmers are adamant about airing their grievances before Parliament. IANS