Farmers Protest: A ‘jatha’ (group) of 101 farmers will embark on a foot march to Delhi at 1 pm on Friday from their protest site at the Shambhu border on the Punjab and Haryana border.
The farmers are marching to force the Centre for a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops.
A heavy deployment of security personnel has been made on the Haryana side of the border.
The Ambala district administration has already issued an order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), restricting any unlawful assembly of five or more persons in the district.
The deputy commissioner has directed that no procession on foot, vehicles, or other modes will be allowed till further orders.
Ambala authorities ordered closure of all government and private schools in the district.
“The government and private schools will remain closed on Friday,” District Education Officer Ambala Suresh Kumar said.
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A multilayered barricading is already in place at the Shambhu border point Rajpura (Punjab)-Ambala (Haryana) on National Highway-44.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher termed the 101 farmers who will begin the march ‘marjeevras’, someone willing to die for a cause.
Pandher, who said the march would be carried out in a “peaceful manner,” slammed the Haryana administration prohibiting the foot march, despite his promising farmers will not take any tractor-trolley with them.
Punjab Minister and AAP State president Aman Arora on Friday said the Centre must listen to the farmers.
He also wondered why must the government stop the farmers when they would be marching on foot in a peaceful manner.
“It was said that farmers can march on foot, but now Haryana authorities have issued prohibitory orders and barred that too,” Arora said.
He said the Centre in the past did not pay heed to the Punjab government’s efforts in resolving farmers’ issues.
“Such step motherly treatment is not justified and Centre must sit and resolve the issue by sitting across the table with farmers… If peaceful protest march is stopped by the Centre or Haryana police, then chances of conflict and confrontation will increase,” Arora said.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said everyone has the right to come and go anywhere or express their views peacefully in a democracy, but the BJP government wants to snatch this right from the farmers.
“The farmers have agreed to go to Delhi without tractor-trolleys following the government’s words. In such a situation, stopping them is completely undemocratic,” the Congress leader said.
The Ambala deputy commissioner-cum-district magistrate in an order dated November 30 prohibited unlawful assembly of five or more persons, and taking out any procession on foot, vehicles or through any other mode.
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“It is apprehended that a large number of protesters are likely to come from Punjab and Haryana and assemble at Shambhu border to move towards Delhi.
“Hence, appropriate steps need to be taken at the border points and within the district, including issuance of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNSS so as not to allow movement of any such person without prior permission,” the order read.
According to farmers, the first ‘jatha’ will be led by farmer leaders Satnam Singh Pannu, Surinder Singh Chautala, Surjit Singh Phul, and Baljinder Singh.
The ‘jatha’ will carry only essential items with them. The Ambala district administration on Wednesday asked the farmers to reconsider their march and contemplate any action only after obtaining permission from Delhi Police. Bulldozers, cranes, water cannons and ambulances, as well as drones have been deployed by authorities on the Shambhu border.
The Haryana side of the border is also secured by paramilitary forces.
Ambala Superintendent of Police, S S Bhoria told reporters police had made elaborate arrangement to maintain law and order on the Haryana side of the border.
He said any farmer who wanted to march to Delhi should have proper permission of competent authority, else he will be stopped.
The farmers are gathered under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Pandher had on Thursday told reporters if the government stopped them from carrying out their march, it would be a “moral victory” for the farmers.
“Their leaders at the Centre and in states have been regularly saying that if the farmers do not bring tractor-trolleys, there should be no objection. So if we go to Delhi on foot, there should be no reason to stop the farmers,” he said.
Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur’s martyrdom day was also observed at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points by the farmers.
Meanwhile, SKM leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continues to be on his fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point.
Besides MSP, the farmers are demanding farm debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases (against farmers), and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands.
