After halting their march to the national capital on Friday, 101 farmers from Punjab are set to resume their journey to Delhi on Sunday at noon, with heightened security in place at the Shambhu border, according to a report by ANI.
He confirmed that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have agreed to resume their march on December 8, with 101 farmers participating, and will do so peacefully.
On Friday, farmers started their march towards Delhi but faced tear gas and resistance from security forces at the Shambhu border in Haryana’s Ambala district, where Section 163 of the BNSS was enforced.
Prior to the farmers’ march, the Haryana government suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 11 villages of Ambala district until December 9. Under Section 163, the assembly of five or more people was banned. The march was briefly halted after 16 farmers were injured, with one losing their hearing due to tear gas shelling by Haryana security forces, as reported by Pandher.
In addition to the farmers marching, another farmer leader, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, is protesting with a hunger strike at the Khanauri border. Farmers have claimed that Dallewal has lost eight kilograms as a result of his fast.
Multilayered barricades were erected at the border on Friday, with security measures further strengthened in anticipation of the march on Sunday.
The December 8 march will be the fourth attempt by farmers to lead a procession to the Delhi parliament. Previously, on February 13 and 21, farmers had attempted a ‘Dilli Chalo’ march with tractors and trolleys, but it was halted after a farmer was killed in clashes with the police.
The farmers are demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) of crops, justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, and compensation for the families of farmers who died during the 2020-21 protests.
Additionally, they have called for a debt waiver, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, the reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, and no increase in electricity tariffs.
