A group of farmers, who made a fresh attempt to march towards Delhi from Shambhu border point of Haryana on Saturday at around 12 pm, faced tear gas and water cannons launched again by the Haryana police. After that, they suspended their march to Delhi and announced a tractor march on December 16 and “rail roko” protest in Punjab on December 18.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “On December 16, a tractor march will be organised outside Punjab, and on December 18th, we have called ‘Rail Roko’ in Punjab. We appeal to all Punjabis to participate in “Rail Roko’ in large numbers… The Opposition should not run away from their role by just giving a statement.” Ahead of the ‘Dilli Chalo’ foot march, Pandher compared the ongoing farmers’ protest to the Parliament’s Constitution debate.

The clash took place when a group of 101 farmers, who had resumed their march from the Shambhu protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border around noon, reached the barricades set up by Haryana police. A few farmers were injured during the tear gas shelling and were taken to a nearby hospital by ambulances stationed at the site. Visuals from the Shambhu border showed police using tear gas to disperse the protesting farmers and stop them from marching towards the National Capital.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Bajrang Punia visited the Shambhu border and expressed his dismay over the farmers not being allowed to march towards Delhi. Punia, a wrestler who joined the Congress ahead of the October 5 Haryana Assembly polls, also criticised teargas shelling and use of water cannons against the protesting farmers by the Haryana security personnel. He also inquired about the health of the injured farmers at the civil hospital in Rajpura.

Earlier in the day, Ambala Deputy Commissioner Parth Gupta and Superintendent of Police S S Bhoria tried to persuade the farmers to seek permission from Delhi authorities before continuing their march. However, the farmers stood firm on their decision to proceed, urging the security forces to let them pass.

This is the third time the farmers have attempted to march towards Delhi. Previous attempts on December 6 and December 8 were also blocked by Haryana police.

Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast unto death entered the 19th day on Saturday, said the lives of those farmers, who are committing suicide because of the alleged wrong policies of governments, is more valuable than his. His remark came a day after the Supreme Court directed the Centre and Punjab government representatives to immediately meet him, provide him with medical help and persuade him to break his indefinite fast saying his life was precious. Dallewal (70), a cancer patient, has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre to accept the agitating farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops.

Doctors have already recommended his hospitalisation, saying he has turned weak because of the prolonged fast. During his brief address to the media at Khanauri, Dallewal thanked the apex court for expressing concern over his health. “The honourable Supreme Court says that my life is more valuable than the agitation. But I believe that the lives of those farmers, who are committing suicide due to the wrong policies of the government are more valuable than my life,” said Dallewal.

Earlier, the agitating farmers had made two attempts, on December 6 and 8, which were thwarted by the Haryana security personnel who fired tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse them. A total of 22 farmers were then injured. The farmers under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and KMM have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces.

Besides a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, the farmers are demanding a 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.