Singhu Border, Delhi: Rows of concrete slabs, police barricades and thick rolls of barbed wire have been laid out to block entry to Delhi via the Singhu border as farmers from Haryana and Punjab march towards the national capital Tuesday demanding a law on minimum support price (MSP).
Amid reports of intense clashes between the farmers and security personnel, use of teargas shells and smoke bombs at the Shambhu border in Haryana’s Ambala — which is about 150 kilometres away — security has been stepped up at the Singhu border with hundreds of Rapid Action Force (RAF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police personnel and riot control vehicles at the spot.
In view of the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ call, all the borders of Delhi have been sealed. Police are using drones to monitor the situation. Some protesters have been detained at the Shambhu border.
Meanwhile, commuters coming from Haryana to Delhi are bearing the brunt, stuck in sprawling traffic jams. Nitin Kumar, who was travelling from Haridwar to Delhi, told ThePrint, “Our time is being wasted. I have been stuck here for a long time. Common people are facing problems.”
This march comes over two years after the Modi government withdrew all three farm laws, giving in to an almost year-long agitation by the farmers at Delhi’s borders.
This time, the farmers have 12 demands, the main ones being a law on MSP, pension and debt waivers. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are leading the march.
The Modi government had last week announced MSP for 22 mandated crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP). In July 2022, it had formed a committee to deliberate on several issues including making the MSP more “effective and transparent”.
The committee, headed by former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agrawal, has held more than 30 meetings or workshops, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda had said in Lok Sabha last week. It is yet to submit its report.
Three ministers of the Modi government, including Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, held two rounds of talks with the representatives of farmers but both remained inconclusive.
Meanwhile, the X accounts of a few farmer leaders seem to have been suspended. The profiles of farmer leaders Ramandeep Singh Mann and Tejveer Singh show a message that says the account has been “withheld in response to a legal demand”.
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‘Farmers’ demands genuine,’ says Delhi govt
The Delhi government has rejected the Centre’s proposal to convert the Bawana stadium into a makeshift jail in view of the farmers’ march.
Delhi Home Minister Kailash Gahlot wrote to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar denying permission and expressed solidarity with the farmers’ march. “The demands of the farmers are genuine. Secondly, it is the constitutional right of every citizen to make a peaceful protest. It is therefore, incorrect to arrest the farmers” read his letter to Kumar.
Union Minister Arjun Munda said, “I went to Chandigarh twice and talked to farmers’ organisations…But in some things we will need to take consultation…For this, we should ensure what will be the path… Farmers need to understand that the Government of India is committed to protecting the interests of farmers and that they as well as the general public should not face any difficulties.”
He further said that his government “cares about the interests of farmers”.
He added: “It is not our concern if someone is doing politics over this issue. We have always been ready for talks and discussions and we are ready to do everything possible to find a solution to this issue. This issue also concerns the state governments. We need time to understand this issue and find a method to solve this…”
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told ThePrint, “We tried our best to find a way out by meeting the government. The police are harassing the farmers. This is a demand of 140 crore people, not just ours.”
Meanwhile, Supreme Court Bar Association president Adish Aggarwala has written to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to take suo motu action against the farmers for trying to enter Delhi, claiming that they are creating a nuisance and disturbing the daily lives of citizens.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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This is how BJP central govt. manages protests. It doesn’t allow citizens to protest. Probably BJP thinks that the only responsibility citizens have is to vote. Once voting is over, they have no say, the govt. doesn’t feel it has to discuss with any civic body. This is authoritarian thinking. It doesn’t know how to take various groups along. It wants citizens to just follow.