Delhi Chalo march: Protesting farmers will resume their 'Dilli Chalo' march from today (March 6) after spending days at the Punjab-Haryana border following clashes that injured several farmers and policemen. The agitators from across the country will proceed to Delhi in buses and on trains.
The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), two umbrella bodies leading the farmer's agitation, have issued a call for farmers from across the country to reach Delhi on Wednesday. The farmers also called for a four-hour countrywide rail roko on March 10 to press the central government to fulfill their various demands, including a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariffs, among others.
"Our program to march to Delhi is as it is, we've not stepped back from it. It has been decided that we will increase our strength on the borders. On March 6, farmers will come to (Delhi) from all over the country by train, bus, air and we will see whether the government will allow them to sit there or not. On March 10, we will hold 'Rail Roko' protest across the country from 12 pm to 4 pm," farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal had said earlier.
Delhi Police security arrangements
In view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march call given by different farmer outfits, the Delhi Police has increased security measures at the Tikri, Singhu, and Ghazipur borders, as well as railway and metro stations and bus stands. The police have instructed their personnel to maintain strict vigilance in these areas.
"We had temporally removed barriers for commuters at the Singhu and the Tikri borders. The deployment of police and paramilitary personnel is still there and (they) will ensure strict, round-the-clock vigil," a senior police officer said.
Additional police and paramilitary forces have already been deployed at railway and metro stations, as well as bus stands, as part of the heightened security measures implemented by the Delhi Police. "No one will be allowed to breach the law," the officer said.
Farmers' Delhi Chalo march
The farmers began their march on February 13 but were halted by security forces at the border of Haryana and Punjab, leading to clashes. Since then, the protesting farmers have remained stationed at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana after their "Delhi Chalo" march was obstructed.
Despite four rounds of talks between the protesting farmers and the Centre regarding the farmers' demands, no resolution has been reached thus far.
The police have said that they will intensify checking at various locations, which may lead to traffic congestion in the city.
Farmers' demand
The protesting farmers have presented a list of 12 demands to the central government. According to the protesting farmers, the centre promised them better crop prices after which they ended the 2021 protest. At the forefront of their demands is the enactment of a law guaranteeing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops, a measure advocated by the Swaminathan Commission report.
In addition to MSP assurance, the farmers are calling for a comprehensive debt waiver programme and the establishment of a pension scheme for both farmers and farm labourers. Furthermore, they are vehemently opposing the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and are urging for the reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013. This reinstatement would entail provisions ensuring farmers' consent and compensation set at four times the collector rate.
In 2020, a large number of farmers from Punjab and nearby areas of Ambala gathered at the Shambhu border and broke police barriers to march towards Delhi.
The farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, held a year-long protest on Delhi's border points -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- against the three now-repealed farm laws.
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