Indian police fire tear gas on protesting farmers to prevent their march to Delhi
New Delhi: Police in India fired tear gas shells at farmers and their supporters who were peacefully marching toward New Delhi, today, in a mass protest demanding crop price guarantees.
Spearheaded by farmers from northern Haryana and Punjab states, the protestors said the Modi government has failed to meet promises it made after they called off a year-long protest in 2021. In September 2020, tens of thousands of farmers camped on Delhi’s borders for nearly one year until the government conceded their demand to scrap three controversial laws.
The farmers are asking for legislation that will guarantee a minimum support price for all farm produce.
More than 200 farmer unions are participating in the Dilli Chalo” protest march. “We will move peacefully and our objective is that the government listens to our demands,” Sarvan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee said.
Television images showed plumes of smoke at a border point that lies about 200 kilometers north of Delhi after Indian forces’ personnel dropped tear gas canisters from a drone to disperse the farmers. Scuffles between police and protesters have also been reported at the Shambhu border and the situation remains tense. Many farmers and scribes are reported to be injured in teargas shelling at Shambhu border
The Indian capital has been turned into a virtual fortress with barbed wire, cement blocks and metal spikes installed at its borders to prevent the farmers from reaching the city. Thousands of forces’ personnel and police guarded Delhi, where large gatherings have been banned. In Haryana, the BJP-led state government has suspended internet services in seven districts.
Farm leaders are vowing to continue with the protest until their demands are met. “We do not want to break any barricades. We want a resolution of our issues through dialogue. But if the government does nothing, then what will we do? It is our compulsion,” Sarwan Singh Pandher, a leader of one of the farmer groups, told reporters.
Farmers’ and trade unions have also announced a rural strike on 16 February during which no agricultural activities will be carried out. Shops, markets and offices in all villages will be closed while farmers will block major roads across India.
