Farmers Protest Continues to Fight for Fair Policies amid Internet Blackouts and Tear Gas
Protesting farmers on Friday called off their foot march to Delhi for a day after security officials fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets injuring some of them. But on Saturday again the protesting farmers gathered in large numbers at the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu border to continue their “Dilli Chalo” march for the second day.
A farmer stated that they are waiting to see if the Center makes any proposals to hold discussions before the protesters march to Delhi tomorrow on 8th December. The gatherings of five or more individuals are prohibited by Section 144 in Ambala.
A farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher stated on Friday 6th December that if the Union Government does not start talks with the farmers by Saturday 7th December, 101 farmers will march towards Delhi on December 8 at midday. He said, “We will wait till tomorrow for talks with the government otherwise, a ‘Jatha’ of 101 farmers will march towards Delhi on 8 December at 12 noon.”
Up to 15 farmers were hurt by tear gas shells at the border and about 17 of them had to be hospitalized. They have been forced to give up the protest by using rubber bullets and tear shell gas by the Haryana security forces.
Additionally, 11 villages in the Ambala district have suspended bulk SMS and mobile internet services until next week. Dangdehri, Lohgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Lhars, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar, Saddopur, Sultanpur and Kakru villages in Ambala were all subject to the ban.
Farmers and Their Demand:
A Punjabi group “jatha” of farmers led by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha which is a non-political organization started marching from the Shambhu border to the Delhi Parliament on December 6th.
Their demands of this protest are a legal guarantee of the minimum support price for crops, a debt waiver, no increases in electricity tariff, pensions for farmers and agricultural laborers and justice for the victims who were harmed in Lakhimpur Kheri in 2021 and during the farmer’s protests in 2020-21. They are also demanding the withdrawal of police cases against farmers.
Important Haryana farmer unions have made the decision to stay out of the “Dilli Chalo”protest but one of the farmer’s protest leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been fasting “until death” for the past twelve days near the Khanauri border.
The protesting farmer unions have made three attempts to march to the nation’s capital in the last ten months but they failed as police and farmers clashed during the first two attempts which took place on February 13 and 21.
