Protesting farmers stopped at Haryana border
Punjab farmers stayed put at the Khanauri border point on Monday, a day after Haryana Police stopped them from proceeding to Delhi as part of their 228-kilometre “Kisan Bachao Padyatra”.
Police had erected multi-layer barricades at the border point on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters here, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, leader of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), which is spearheading the foot march, said only a small gathering of farmers will continue to sit at the Khanauri border point.
“We have put up small tents as protection from the sultry weather. But having a Pucca Morcha here is not our agenda,” he said.
Dallewal said farmers will try to organise a protest march in different parts of the country on August 20. They would burn effigies and ask the Government whether they do not even have the right to peacefully march to the national capital, even on foot.
“The Government has built a narrative that farmers are blocking the roads, but as everyone can see, we are sitting on the side of a service road, while Haryana authorities have blocked the highway with concrete slabs,” Dallewal said.
“They used to say farmers will not be allowed with tractors and other vehicles, but they won't let us go even on foot now. This time, there are less than 300 farmers who want to march to Delhi in a peaceful manner, but the Government still has a problem with us. Don't we even have the basic right to go to our national Capital on foot?” he said.
On Sunday, three rounds of talks were held between representatives of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Haryana Government officials, but it remained inconclusive.
Dallewal had rejected an offer to meet Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and insisted on an appointment with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to discuss their main issue — the proposed India-US trade deal.
After police stopped them, Dallewal said they would sit at the Khanauri border point peacefully.
The SKM (Non-Political) had announced a “Kisan Bachao Padyatra” from Data Singh Wala village on the Haryana-Punjab border to Delhi's Jantar Mantar, 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).
Following the march call, the Haryana Police had made tight security arrangements at the state's border with Punjab.
A police official from Jind district on Sunday 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, police diverted traffic through alternative routes.
Dallewal on Monday reiterated 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 about the trade deal and it will have no answer.
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.
