India
The farmer unions on Sunday suspended their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march after eight protesting farmers were injured due to tear gas shelling by Haryana Police. The march, which began from the Shambhu protest site, was interrupted shortly after it resumed, as Haryana security personnel erected multilayered barricades to prevent the farmers from advancing.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, a farmer leader from Punjab, reported that one of the injured farmers was taken to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh for treatment. “We have called back the ‘jatha’ (group of 101 farmers),” Pandher stated.
Despite the initial determination to march to Delhi, the group, often referred to as ‘marjeevras’ (those willing to die for their cause), found their path blocked just a few meters away from the barricades. Farmers expressed frustration over the police’s refusal to allow them to proceed, citing concerns over their names not being on a list, though the farmers were unclear about which list was being referenced.
Tejveer Singh, another farmer leader, questioned the rationale behind stopping the peaceful march, asking, “What objection does Haryana have?” Earlier in the week, similar incidents occurred when farmers were forced to suspend their march after experiencing injuries from tear gas.
The farmers are seeking a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce. A meeting among their forums, the Samyuka Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, will determine the next steps in their protest.
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