Chandigarh, Nov 18 (IANS) Farmer unions -- the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha – on Monday announced to march on foot towards Delhi on December 6 over demands, including a legal guarantee law for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops.
Sarwan Singh Pandher told the media here that Jagjit Singh Dalewal, another farmer leader, will go on a fast-unto-death protest at Khanauri, the border of Punjab and Haryana, from November 26.
The announcement to start the march towards the national capital came after two attempts to reach Delhi by farmer groups on February 13 and February 21 were stopped by police.
“Farmers have been sitting at the borders of Shambhu and Khanauri since February 13. The last meeting with the government took place on February 18 and remained inconclusive, ” Pandher said.
He said the government seemed not bothered about their demands.
“They are just doing lip service that they are worried about farmers’ welfare but in reality, they are not bothered at all. Nearly 30 farmers have died while sitting at the ‘dharna’ spots of Shambhu and Khanauri since mid-February, and Shubhkaran Singh was killed due to firing by security forces from the Haryana side when farmers were trying to cross the border at Khanauri, ” he said.
“We will be moving towards Delhi in groups which will be led by our senior leaders…The farmers will without trollies and we now want a space to protest at Delhi, ” he added.
Another farmer leader Guramneet Mangat said: “Since there is multi-layer barricading at the Shambhu border, we will go in groups on foot. The Haryana government and the Centre have stated several times that we can go to Delhi by foot.”
In the February 21 protest, a young farmer Shubkaran Singh lost his life at the Khanauri border, besides many others were injured during clashes between farmers and the police.
In February, the farmers were stopped at the Punjab-Haryana borders at Shambhu and Khanauri, where they have been holding sit-ins since then.