Government unlikely to allow farmers to march from Punjab-Haryana border to Delhi

Proposed march to Delhi today by a group (jatha) of 101 farmers belonging to Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and some other farmer organizations. Punjab There is no possibility of going ahead amid tight security of Haryana government.

An order under Section 163 of the Indian Civil Defense Code (BNSS), prohibiting any unlawful assembly of five or more persons, has been issued by the Ambala district authority as farmers cross the district.

According to the order issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Ambala district, any procession on foot, vehicle or other means has been banned till further orders.

Since there has been heavy deployment of security personnel on the Haryana border, experts believe that the government is adamant on not allowing the march to proceed towards Delhi. Experts said it was precisely for this reason that the marchers from Punjab were not allowed to enter Haryana in February and they camped at two border points at Shambhu and Khanauri.

Central paramilitary forces have also been deployed on the Haryana border. The Ambala district administration had earlier asked the farmers to reconsider their proposed march and should first seek permission from the Delhi Police.

KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, in a media briefing on December 5, described the 101 farmers who started the march as people ready to die for a cause. He had also said that he had chosen the date of the Delhi march which falls on the martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Last month Pandher had told business Line The demand for a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) will help achieve the government’s decades-old goal of shifting Punjab’s paddy farmers to other crops, which no scheme has been able to achieve so far. When Pandher was asked why Punjab farmers were demanding legal guarantee when the Center had already purchased the entire paddy and wheat at MSP, he termed it a misinformation campaign.

“Farmers are now aware of the impending danger as groundwater is depleting rapidly. Pandher had said that wherever water is an issue in Punjab and Haryana, farmers will easily switch to other crops if they are assured of procurement at MSP and only a law can ensure this. He also said that growing paddy is a compulsion for farmers, even if they do not give priority to rice in their daily diet.

Meanwhile, Ambala district authorities also ordered all government and private schools to remain closed on Friday in view of the proposed march. According to media reports, multi-layered barricading is already installed at Shambhu border point on National Highway-44. Water cannon have also been deployed at the point.

Pandher, who had claimed that the march would be ‘peaceful’, has criticized the Haryana government’s order banning the foot march. But, Haryana Police fears that after media reports that a large number of protesters from Punjab may move towards Delhi, some farmer groups clashed with Punjab Police in Mansa district, in which three police officers were injured. , when they were prevented from moving forward. Bathinda for some protest.

As KMM took the center stage of the protest by announcing a march to Delhi, leaving senior farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast unto death for the last 10 days, at the border point, many experts said the split ranks only in the ‘struggle’ Will weaken ‘.

Dallewal has emerged as the main leader of the group under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), which broke away from the main SKM ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections when some constituents contested the elections.

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