Punjab: Farmers Threaten 'Delhi Chalo' Protest March From December 6

Chandigarh: Leaders of various farm unions of Punjab including Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) on Monday announced that the farmers would resume their protest march towards Delhi from December 6 to press the Centre to accept their various demands including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

Addressing newspersons after holding a meeting of farm leaders here, KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the farmers had waited for long and now they have decided to head towards Delhi from December 6.

It may be recalled that a large number of farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri borders between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, last, after their ``Delhi Chalo’’ tractor march was stopped by security forces at the said two points – Shambhu and Khanauri borders of the two states. Farmers' repeated attempts to force their entry into Haryana so as to go towards Delhi were thwarted by security forces amid violent conflict between the security and farmers.

Hitting out at the Centre, Pandher said that since the Centre had not taken any initiative to hold talks with the farmers since February 18, they had been left with no option but to resume their ``Delhi Chalo’’ protest-march. He, however, clarified that the farmers would undertake a foot-march in batches and not go on their tractors.

It may also be recalled that the farm leaders had also held a series of meetings with Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Nityanand Rai and Arjun Munda in Chandigarh in February but these had failed to make a headway.

The farm leaders held that the farmers had also decided to begin a fast-unto-death from November 26 which would be led by farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.

It may be recalled that besides MSP for their crops, the farmers have also been demanding farm debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourer, withdrawal of police cases and justice for victims of 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence and relief to the families of farmers who died during the 2020-2021 farmers stir, besides others.