2024-02-15 02:37:30
Delhi: The central government will hold talks on Thursday with farmers’ organizations that have come to the Punjab-Haryana border with a protest rally with 12 demands, including an increase in the fair price of agricultural crops. Sarwan Singh Pandher, representative of farmers’ organization, said that till then the farmers will remain peacefully in the capital and will not try to cross the barricades.
The discussion will be held on Thursday at 5 pm. Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Nityananda Rai will hold talks with representatives of farmers’ organizations as representatives of the central government.
Sarwan Singh Pandar, coordinator of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) said that the protesters at the Shambhu border were asked whether they should go to Delhi or return to the table for negotiations. “Our people told us to find a solution through negotiations,” Dallewal said.
Farmer leaders said they would avoid moving to Delhi on Thursday if there was no tear gas shelling from the Haryana side. “We aim to engage in peaceful talks with Union ministers at 5 pm on Thursday in Chandigarh. Haryana security forces should refrain from provoking our farmers with tear gas or other measures. We are in favor of discussion. “If the government is committed to solving our problems through dialogue, we are also ready,” Pandhar said.
Meanwhile, Haryana police on Wednesday fended off protesters with tear gas, water cannons and rubber pellets at Shambhu and Khanauri, two border points between Haryana and Punjab. More than 40 farmers were injured in the conflict. At least a dozen of them have been shifted to the government hospital in Patiala. Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh visited the injured and announced that the Punjab government would provide free treatment.
Farmers who have arrived with wet sacks to face the tear gas shells are waiting by parking tractors, trolleys and horse carts at Shambhu and Khanauri borders. Farmers alleged that Haryana authorities flooded wheat fields with water to prevent protesters from entering the wheat fields.
In support of the protesting farmers’ unions, BKU Ugrahan and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner wing) have announced a train blockade in Punjab from 12 noon to 4 pm on Thursday. The union leaders said that the ‘train blocking’ will be held at 10 locations initially and more locations are likely to be added later.
The second day of the farmers’ strike also saw heated exchanges between Punjab and Haryana government officials. Patiala Deputy Commissioner Shaukat Ahmed Pare turned once morest the Haryana Police demanding that tear gas shells should not be used in Punjab’s territory. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij was furious with this.
“What do they want to say? Is it India-Pakistan border? Why didn’t the Punjab government take any action when these convoys first started from Amritsar? Do they mean that if someone kills Haryana policemen and escapes to Punjab, we can’t chase him and catch him there? Punjab wants to create chaos in Delhi once more,” said Anil Vij.
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