Farmers Set to Resume ‘Delhi Chalo’ March from Two Border Points in Punjab-Haryana

Chandigarh, Feb 21 : Farmers protesting at two border points between Punjab and Haryana are set to resume their “Delhi Chalo” march on Wednesday after rejecting the Centre’s proposal for procuring pulses, maize, and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years.

Thousands of farmers, who commenced their march to Delhi on February 13, encountered resistance at the Haryana border, leading to clashes with security personnel. The farmers have been stationed at the Shambhu and Khanauri points between Punjab and Haryana since then.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the “Delhi Chalo” march to press the BJP-led Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm loan waiver.

The last round of talks between the farmers and the government concluded past midnight on Sunday when a panel of ministers proposed buying five crops—moong dal, urad dal, tur dal, maize, and cotton—from farmers at the MSP for five years through central agencies.

The protesting farmer leaders formally rejected the offer, with Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal stating on Tuesday that it was not in the farmers’ interest.

Despite four rounds of inconclusive talks with Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Nityanand Rai on February 8, 12, 15, and 18, the farmer leaders are determined to continue their march.

At the Shambhu border point, farmers have brought excavators to navigate the multi-layered barricades set up by Haryana security personnel. Some are carrying masks to protect themselves from tear-gas shells.

Tight security arrangements are in place at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points. The Haryana Police has urged its Punjab counterpart to seize bulldozers and other earthmoving equipment from the inter-state border, which they believe the protesters will use to break the barricades.

In response, the Punjab DGP has communicated that no JCB machines and other heavy earthmoving equipment should be allowed to reach the Khanauri and Shambu border points due to concerns that protesters plan to break the barricades and enter Haryana.

The Haryana government has extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk text-message services in seven districts by a day till Wednesday in view of the farmers’ “Delhi Chalo” agitation.

Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar emphasized on Tuesday that the farmers are ready to march towards Delhi in a “peaceful” manner from the Shambhu and Khanauri border points.

Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher urged the Centre to convene a daylong Parliament session to legislate on the MSP for crops. The farmers’ primary demands include a legal guarantee on the MSP for all crops, the implementation of the “C2 plus 50 per cent” formula as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, and farm loan waiver.

In addition to these demands, the farmers are calling for pension for farmers and farm laborers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases, “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence in Uttar Pradesh, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation for the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.