Haryana blocks Punjab farmers’ march to Delhi; minister meets protest leaders
Punjab farmers heading to Delhi for the Kisan Mahapanchayat against the proposed India-US trade deal were stopped at the Shambhu border by Haryana Police. Later, Haryana's agriculture minister met farmer leaders, accepted their memorandum and assured them their demands would be addressed
Shambhu/Ambala: Around a thousand Punjab farmers on their way to Delhi to take part in the Kisan Mahapanchayat to protest against the proposed India-US trade deal were stopped at the Shambhu border on Tuesday as Haryana Police erected barricades and placed cement blocks at the entry point to the neighbouring state.
Later in the day, Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana and Ambala Deputy Commissioner Ajay Singh Tomer met the Punjab farmers, received a memorandum from them and promised to fulfil their demands.
The farmers said they will chart their next course of action soon. A day-long Kisan Mahapanchayat is being organised at Kisan Ghat in Delhi under the banner of ‘Desh Bachao Morcha’ on Tuesday, to protest against the proposed India-US trade deal.
Farmer leaders had earlier said that participants from several places, including from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, would take part in the Mahapanchayat. As part of the plan, around a thousand farmers from Punjab, carrying flags of their respective organisations, arrived at the Shambhu border on Tuesday to proceed towards Delhi in buses.
The farmers’ convoy had spent Monday night at the sarai (pilgrims’ inn) of Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib and departed in the morning. From the gurdwara, they reached Madhopur near Sirhind on GT Road, and then proceeded towards Shambhu, where they were stopped from proceeding further.
Heavy police deployment was made at the entry point to Haryana, with chained barricades and cement blocks erected on the bridge over Ghaggar river and water cannon vehicles on standby.
Authorities in the adjacent Ambala had clamped prohibitory orders in the district. Ambala Superintendent of Police Ajit Singh Shekhwat and other police officials were camping at the spot to monitor the situation.
Security was also tightened along key national highway stretches, while farmer leaders said scores of farmers were stopped at the Khanauri border, Shahabad in Kurukshetra and Karnal as well.
In Kurukshetra, farmers claimed that they were stopped near Jyotisar. Lashing out at the Nayab Singh Saini government, Punjab farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said they wanted to proceed peacefully to Delhi, but were stopped at the Haryana border.
He said farmers want the proposed India-US trade agreement to be scrapped. Speaking to reporters, Pandher questioned why they were stopped from participating in the protest and alleged that this exposed the “true face” of the Haryana chief minister, who frequently visits Punjab to seek votes and makes tall promises to people there.
He also slammed Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon for keeping silent. “What danger do they have from us? Earlier they used to blame us for taking tractor trolleys along. But this time, we are only going for a four-hour-long programme,” he said. He reiterated that the farmers do not intend to be involved in any confrontation with the Haryana Police as they wanted to go to Delhi peacefully.
Pandher further demanded the release of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni, who was detained by police in Kurukshetra on Monday while on his way to the Mahapanchayat. The outfit’s spokesperson, Prince Waraich, claimed that the Haryana Police had been detaining a large number of the outfit’s workers to prevent their participation in the protest.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) leader Tejveer Singh alleged that Haryana Police has sealed the Shambhu border point without any prior notice. The Punjab farmer leaders later demanded a meeting with Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana, who, along with the Ambala deputy commissioner, met them.
Sharing details of the meeting, Sarwan Singh Pandher said the Haryana minister assured them that detained farmers, including Gurnam Singh Charuni, will be released after discussion with the chief minister. They have also been assured that a meeting will be arranged with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan within eight to ten days, Pandher said.
Meanwhile, sealing of the border point led to several commuters facing inconvenience. In view of the farmers’ protest, Haryana Police issued a traffic advisory, asking commuters to take the Ambala Cantonment-Chandigarh-Lalru-Dera Bassi-Zirakpur route to go to Punjab. Those going to Delhi from Punjab can take the Rajpura-Lalru-Dera Bassi-Zirakpur-Ambala Cantonment route, it said.
Farmers have been strongly opposing the India-US trade deal, claiming that it would adversely impact the country’s farming sector. They claimed that the proposed trade deal would allow cheaper agricultural imports into India, affecting domestic farm incomes and the country’s agricultural economy.
This would adversely affect farmers, agricultural labourers, livestock rearers, small traders and micro industries, they said. The farmers said that the proposed agreement would not be limited to a few commodities but several, including agriculture, dairy, industry, digital trade, e-commerce, government procurement, intellectual property rights, and the services sector.
Demanding immediate intervention by the Centre, farmers urged it to abandon the proposed trade deal and safeguard the interests of farmers and the common people. In February 2024, similar barricading was carried out when farmers had given a call to go to Delhi to press the Centre for a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price of their crops.
