On Feb, 14, farmers’ groups, led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, continued their march to Delhi. Punjabi farmers are protesting at the border crossings at Shambhu and Khanauri with the intention of moving on to Delhi. Tear gases have been directed at them, the curfew is still in effect, the internet is down, traffic is hindered and many are injued.
30,000 tear gas shells ordered
According to a report by the Times of India, the Delhi Police has ordered over 30,000 tear gas shells in anticipation of preventing Punjabi farmers from visiting the national capital as part of their ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest. About 200 kilometers from Delhi, at the state’s border with Haryana near Ambala, hundreds of farmers on a march from Punjab have been stopped. To try to disperse them, Haryana security officers have exposed them to tear gas. PTI has reported the same.
Notice by Haryana: Internet shuts down till 17
The Government of Haryana Department of Home Affairs has issued a notice in order to shut down the internet in a number of Haryana districts, including Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa.
The order was issued under Section 5 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, and Rule 2 of the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017.
As per the state, law and order are still fragile, and the spread of inflammatory content and misinformation through the internet and messaging services poses a risk of disturbing public law and order.
All dongle services—voice calls excluded—as well as bulk SMS (banking and mobile recharge excluded) and mobile internet services (2G/3G/4G/SG/CDMA/GPRS) are suspended. It is mandatory for telecom companies in Haryana to adhere to this directive.
Exemptions
Some exceptions have been made in order to lessen the inconvenience to the general public. To minimize disruption to business and domestic operations, individual SMS, mobile recharge, banking SMS, voice calls, and internet services via broadband and corporate and residential lease lines will all continue to function.
This order will remain in effect until February 17, 2024 (23:59 hrs).
Haryana Joins the farmers
In response to farmer demonstrations, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) organized an emergency conference that concluded in Kurukshetra, Haryana. Tomorrow from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., President Gurnam Singh Charuni is pleading for the elimination of toll plazas in Haryana, certain areas of Punjab, and western Uttar Pradesh.
The union will also participate in tractor marches in each tehsil to show support for their counterparts who are spearheading the demonstrations at the borders between Punjab and Haryana.
Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni said, “Three decisions were made today. Firstly, tomorrow from 12 to 3 pm, we will keep Haryana free of tolls for three hours. Secondly, tomorrow night there will be a tractor parade in every Tehsil starting at 12 p.m. Lastly, on February 18, there will be a joint meeting of all labor and farmers’ organizations. At that meeting, more decisions will be made.”
Trains affected
Six trains have been rerouted and two have been cancelled due to Rail Roko in Punjab.
Two trains have been cancelled in the Ambala railway division, six have been rerouted to travel via the Ludhiana-Sahnewal-Chandigarh line, and two have been short-circuited due to Rail Roko in Punjab, according to Naveen Kumar, senior divisional commercial manager of the division. He said that none of the impacted trains are Shatabdi or Vande Bharat.
On Thursday, the Shatabdi and Shan-e-Punjab express will depart from Ludhiana Junction station for Delhi rather than their usual departure point of Amritsar.
The Pathankot-Delhi Express has been diverted via Dhuri rather than Ambala, and the Sachkhand Express has been rerouted via Chandigarh.
Monohar Lal Khattar slams the Punjab and Delhi governments
Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana, stated on Thursday that it appeared the Punjab administration was backing the farmers who were protesting. In response to a query at a briefing, the prime minister stated that the manner in which events have transpired suggests this. “I would like not to comment on this because we have not heard of any discussions in which political assistance for farmers who are demonstrating has been offered,” he said.
“The Punjabi government had the authority to halt the farmers’ migration. There must have been some understanding if they hadn’t,” he added.
Khattar stated that the Delhi administration also claims to support the farmers’ movement, without mentioning the Aam Aadmi Party.
“Supporting the demands of farmers is one thing, but lending support to their movement does not send the right message,” Khattar said.
Oppositions React
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the BJP government’s action against farmers: “The administration of Ravan has crossed all Lakshman Rekhas.”
The general secretary of the Marxist Communist Party of India, Sitaram Yechury, criticized the administration on Thursday for disobeying the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations.
He underlined that it was insufficient to merely award the agricultural scientist the Bharat Ratna and encouraged the government to recognize those who uphold the country.
Farmers are calling for a minimum support price that is equal to 50% of the total cost of production. The Swaminathan Commission has recommended precisely that, and Prime Minister Modi himself recently awarded Swaminathan the Bharat Ratna. Giving out prizes is insufficient. What this government needs to do is show respect for farmers and the people who feed us all,” Yechury stated.
Karnataka CM writes to Madhya Pradesh, appeals release of farmers
On Thursday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav received a formal request from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to obtain the release of Karnataka farmers who had been detained in Bhopal.
Siddaramaiah wrote to Yadav, claiming that the farmers had been detained in Bhopal without a valid reason while traveling from Bengaluru to Delhi to protest what they saw as the central government’s “anti-farmer policies.”
Concerned, Siddaramaiah highlighted that the farmers have been in custody for four days and that their release has not yet been secured.
