Ambala/Bathinda: Punjab farmers on Friday suspended their Delhi Chalo march for the day after Haryana police and paramilitary personnel stopped them from advancing into Ambala district from Shambhu border, where they have been protesting since Feb. The first batch of 101 farmers, which was planning to walk to Delhi, was not allowed to advance beyond zero point on the national highway at Shambhu, near Punjab and Haryana border. The jatha, holding flags of farm organisations and national flag, could not move ahead from point zero where Haryana police had erected multi-layered barricading.
After starting their mission at 1 pm, they reached the barricading by removing barbed wire and iron platforms with nails but were hit by pepper spray and tear gas shells when they tried to pull the barricading down. One protester even climbed the shed of the barricading, but had to jump back after cops too climbed up. The Ambala police repeatedly announced on loudspeakers that the farmers did not have permission to enter Delhi via Haryana.
The activists of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) had given a call for Delhi Kooch (Foot March) on Feb 13 and have been sitting at Shambhu and Khanauri borders between Punjab and Haryana since then. In order to ensure their activists reach Delhi, the farmer groups have decided their 101-strong jathas will walk from 9 am to 5 pm daily and sleep on the roads.
Haryana police personnel used pepper spray and tear gas shells on the protesters, who returned to their base camp after trying to move ahead for two hours. Nearly 17 farmers, including BKU Krantikari chairman Surjit Singh Phool, were injured in the police action. One of the injured, identified as Harpreet Singh, 27, of Shikar Masia village in Punjab's Gurdaspur district, was referred to Patiala's govt Rajendra Hospital. The remaining injured were being treated at CHC Rajpura.
The SMO, Dr Sonia Jangwal, said none of the injured have life-threatening injuries, but were kept under observation for at least 24 hours.
After the jatha of 101 farmers returned to the base camp, the Haryana Police called three farmer leaders for talks. The farmers decided to send the next jatha to Delhi on Sunday afternoon, giving Haryana govt and the central govt a day to respond to their demand for direct discussions with the Union ministers, especially Union agriculture minister Shivraj Chauhan.
The farmers had made two unsuccessful attempts on Feb 13 and 21 to move towards Delhi to raise their demands, including legal right of minimum support price (MSP) on all crops as per the Swaminathan formula. During the attempt on Feb 21, Punjab farmer Shubkaran Singh was killed in firing at Khanauri.
BKU (Non-Political) leader Sarvan Singh Pandher said they had called back the jatha for the day.
In a statement, the Ambala police said it had made preparations and strong arrangements to stop farmers from entering Haryana.