New Delhi: Police fired numerous tear gas shells to scatter farmers attempting to breach the police barricade at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border as they resumed the ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest on Wednesday. Drones were also used to drop tear gas shells on the thousands gathered, while several farmers were detained at the border.
Security arrangements have been beefed up on inter-state borders between Punjab and Haryana as the farmers continue to agitate and march towards the national capital with various demands on Centre’s agriculture policices icluding a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops.
In order to maintain law and order, the Delhi police have already implemented Section 144, which prohibits the entry of tractor trolleys and large gatherings. Meanwhile, Commuters encountered difficulties as traffic congestion due to the heavy security deployment and barricades alongside protesting farmers slowed movement resulting heavy traffic jams.
The farmers intend to march to Delhi from the Ambala-Shambhu, Khanauri-Jind, and Dabwali borders. Mobile internet services have been suspended in seven districts of Haryana and Section 144 was imposed in Panchkula and Chandigarh.
The farmers have put forth 12 demands before the central government for which they’re marching to Delhi. The protest this time has been called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.
According to the protesting farmers, the centre promised them better crop prices, after which they ended the 2021 protest. They are demanding to enact a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission report. They are also demanding a complete debt waiver and a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.
The farmers have also urged to scrap the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and are demanding to reintroduce the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, ensuring consent from farmers and compensation at 4 times the collector rate.
Further, they are demanding to punish those involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings.An appeal to provide 200 days of employment per year and a daily wage of Rs 700 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA), linking it with farming, has also been made by the farmers. Also, they have demanded compensation to the families of farmers who died during the protests in 2021 and a job for any family member has been put in place.