A contingent of 101 farmers resumed their march towards Delhi on Saturday afternoon, departing from the Shambhu protest site situated at the Punjab-Haryana border, advocating for various demands, with a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops being paramount.
However, their march was quickly halted by barricades set up by Haryana security forces just meters into their march.
The situation became tense when Haryana security personnel deployed tear gas and water cannons to prevent the protesting farmers from advancing towards Delhi at the Shambhu border point. Several farmers sustained injuries from the tear gas shells and were promptly transported to a nearby medical facility by ambulances stationed at the protest site.
This highlights the farmers’ third attempt to reach the national capital, following two previous unsuccessful attempts on December 6 and December 8, where they were blocked by Haryana’s security forces.
The farmers, mobilizing under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), have been persistent in their demands, particularly emphasizing the need for a legal guarantee for MSP. They have consistently urged the Centre to engage in dialogue to address their concerns.
The administration in Ambala had previously implemented restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), prohibiting gatherings of five or more individuals in the district.
Police authorities had specified that farmer organizations could proceed to Delhi only after securing necessary permissions from the capital’s administration.
Earlier that day, the Haryana government implemented a suspension of mobile internet and bulk SMS services across 12 villages in Ambala, effective until December 17. This suspension, covers Dangdehri, Lehgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Choti Ghel, Lharsa, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar (Hira Nagar, Naresh Vihar), Saddopur, Sultanpur, and Kakru villages, was enacted to maintain peace and public order.
Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continued his hunger strike at the Khanauri border point, entering its 19th day on Saturday. Medical professionals have strongly advised hospitalization, noting his deteriorating health due to the extended fast. However, fellow protesters have formed a protective circle around Dallewal to prevent authorities from removing him from the protest site.
Previously, on November 26, Punjab Police had forcibly removed Dallewal from the Khanauri border point just before he was to begin his fast unto death. On Friday, SKM leader Rakesh Tikait visited Dallewal and called for unity among farmer groups in their “joint fight.”
Dallewal’s hunger strike at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana, ongoing since November 26, aims to pressure the Centre to address the protesting farmers’ demands, particularly the legal guarantee of MSP for crops.
Farmers affiliated with SKM (Non-Political) and KMM have maintained their presence at Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13, when their Delhi march was halted by security forces.
Their comprehensive list of demands includes debt waiver, pension schemes for farmers and agricultural laborers, stable electricity rates, withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Additional demands include the reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, of 2013, and compensation for families of farmers who lost their lives during the 2020-21 agitation.