A group of 101 farmers will make a fourth attempt to reach Delhi by crossing the Shambhu (Punjab–Haryana) border on January 21 to press for their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) on crops, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said on Thursday, January 16.
The “jatha” (group) of 101 farmers, termed as Marjeevdas (those ready to sacrifice their lives), had earlier made three attempts to reach Delhi on foot on December 6, 8 and 14, last year, but their attempts were thwarted by the Haryana Police and paramilitary forces, who used tear gas shells, water cannons and pepper sprays to stop them from entering the state. Nearly 50 farmers were left injured in these attempts.
Unlike the earlier three attempts, this ‘Delhi Chalo’ march has been announced jointly by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political).
KMM convener Sarvan Singh Pandher said, “I don’t think the Union government is in any mood to hold talks with us. Our group of 101 Marjeevdas will make another attempt to reach Delhi on January 21. It is now up to the government to either fulfil our demands or kill us.”
Announcing the action plan, Pandher said farmer leaders Manjit Singh Rai and Balwant Singh Behramke would lead the group.
“We have been told, in the past, by BJP leaders that we can reach Delhi on foot (not on tractors). However, we were not allowed to reach Delhi by the Haryana Police and Centre even when we were marching peacefully. I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow peacefully protesting farmers to reach Delhi, and let us continue our demand for a legal guarantee on MSP,” said Pandher.
The fresh move of protesting farmers came a day after a group of 111 farmers began a fast-unto-death on the Haryana side of the border near Khanauri in solidarity with farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered its 52nd day on Thursday.
The new ‘jatha’ sat on the Haryana side of the border — Dallewal has been sitting on a hunger strike since November 26 last year at the Khanauri border point on the Punjab side.
The Haryana Police has enhanced security on its side of the border near Khanauri. It has already imposed Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, banning gatherings of five or more people.