Farmers’ march to Delhi halted at Khanauri border

The Haryana Police prevented farmers from proceeding to Delhi as part of their 228-km “Kisan Bachao Padyatra” on Sunday by setting up multi-layer barricading along the Khanauri inter-State border point.

Three rounds of talks between representatives of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), which was spearheading the foot march, and Haryana Government officials remained inconclusive.

SKM (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal rejected the officials’ offer of a meeting with the Haryana chief minister and insisted on arranging an appointment with the Union agriculture minister to discuss their main issue — the proposed India-US trade deal. After police did not allow them to proceed to Delhi, Dallewal announced that the farmers would sit at the Khanauri border point peacefully.

The SKM (Non-Political) had given a call for the “Kisan Bachao Padyatra” from Data Singh Wala village on the Haryana-Punjab border to Jantar Mantar in Delhi, culminating in a farmers’ panchayat in the national Capital on August 29. The march was planned against the proposed India-US trade deal and to press for a legal guarantee for procuring crops at the minimum support price (MSP).

After the call for the march was given, the Haryana Police had made tight security arrangements at the State’s border with Punjab.

Authorities had put up concrete barricades on the Haryana side of the Khanauri border point, positioned riot-control vehicles, while barbed wire too was installed.

A police official from Jind district said the farmers do not have permission for the march. Authorities in Haryana have also clamped prohibitory orders.

In view of the sealing of the border point, police diverted traffic through alternative routes.

Dallewal told reporters that 51 farmers from various parts of the country were to participate in the march and around 200 SKM (Non-Political) volunteers and supporters would have accompanied them.

Following three rounds of talks between representatives of the farmers’ body and Haryana officials, including senior officials from Jind, and police, Dallewal said they rejected the offer of a meeting with the Haryana chief minister.

“Our main issue is the India-US trade deal. CM saab is not capable of addressing this issue. Nothing will come out of a meeting with him. The Union agriculture minister should hold a meeting with us. If the agriculture minister gives time to us in the next few days, we will sit here peacefully until then,” Dallewal said.

He added that they we will sit on the side of the road.

Dallewal said the Haryana officials had asked them to reduce the number of those supposed to be taking part in the march.

“We told them that we could bring it down from 51 to 41,” he said.

He further said the Haryana authorities had agreed to release the farmers detained ahead of the proposed march, adding that he was subsequently informed that they were released.

Before the meeting with the officials, when Dallewal was asked about the security arrangements, he said, “This barricading has exposed the BJP government. On earlier occasions, it had a problem when farmers came with tractors. Now, when only a small group of farmers wants to march on foot to Delhi, it still has a problem and is not allowing us to proceed. This exposes the government’s anti-farmer face.”

“Our plan was to proceed peacefully, but they have put up such heavy barricading. Everyone should know now that it is not the farmers who block roads, it is the government that does so,” he added.

Dallewal claimed that the proposed India-US trade deal will have an adverse effect on India’s farmers and farming sector.

He claimed that the proposed deal would allow cheaper agricultural imports into India, affecting domestic farm incomes and the country’s agricultural economy.

Dallewal said the government feels that if the farmers reach Delhi, they will raise questions on the trade deal and it will have no answer.

According to the SKM (Non-Political), the march was to begin from Data Singh Wala and would have passed through Narwana, Uchana, Khatkar Toll, Jind, Ludana, Gohana, Israna, Samalkha and the Singhu border point, before reaching Jantar Mantar.

Among the key demands of the farmers are keeping agriculture, dairy, poultry, fisheries and other allied sectors out of the proposed India-US trade pact and enacting a law to guarantee the procurement of all crops at the MSP based on the Swaminathan Commission’s C2+50 per cent formula.

The farmers are also demanding measures to free them from debt, an increase in the fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane, implementation of the written assurances given by the Centre during talks with farmer organisations and the withdrawal of all cases registered in connection with farmers’ movements.

Last year, police had evicted farmers from the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, which they had blocked for more than a year. The protesting farmers -- led by the SKM (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha -- camped at the Shambhu (Shambhu-Ambala) and Khanauri (Sangrur-Jind) border points between Punjab and Haryana for more than a year, pressing for various demands, especially a law guaranteeing an MSP for crops.