Modi govt in no mood for talks, 101 farmers to march towards Delhi on Sunday: Pandher

Chandigarh: Punjab farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said on Saturday that they have not received any message from the Centre for talks to address their issues and said a group of 101 farmers will again begin their march to Delhi on December 8.

On Friday, protesting farmers suspended their foot march to the national capital for the day after some of them suffered injuries due to tear gas shells fired by security personnel, who stopped them at the Punjab-Haryana border. The farmers have been pressing for various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Addressing the media at Shambhu on the Punjab-Haryana border on Saturday, Pandher said 16 farmers suffered injuries and one of them lost hearing ability because of the teargas shelling by Haryana security personnel.

Except four injured farmers, the rest of them have been discharged from hospital, he said, adding, "We have not received any message from the Centre for holding talks. The (Narendra) Modi government is in no mood to hold talks." He further said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have already decided that a 'jatha' of 101 farmers will again march towards the national capital on Sunday noon in a peaceful manner.

As part of a call given by the farmer unions SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, a 'jatha' of 101 farmers began its march to Delhi on Friday from their protest site at the Shambhu border to press for their demands.

The 'jatha' was stopped by multilayered barricading erected by Haryana security personnel. Undeterred by prohibitory orders, the farmers attempted to force their way through the barricades but were stopped by security personnel who lobbed multiple tear gas shells to force them to go back to their protest site at Shambhu, which falls in Punjab.

On the action by security personnel against protesting farmers, Pandher said the BJP government at the Centre has been "exposed".

"What did they do yesterday? People are angry with this action. People are asking the BJP since the farmers were not taking tractor-trolleys along with them then why they were not allowed to move ahead," Pandher posed.

Another farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continued with his fast unto death at the Khanauri border. Farmers claimed that Dallewal has lost eight-kilogramme weight.

Pandher on Friday said they appealed to the government to either hold a dialogue with the protesting farmers or "allow us to move to Delhi". However, the Haryana Police had said the protesting farmers created a ruckus and also made their best efforts to demolish police barricades set up at the Haryana side of the border.

Shortly before the farmers' march, the Haryana government on Friday suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS service in 11 villages of the Ambala district till December 9.

The protesting farmers had earlier attempted to march towards Delhi on February 13 and February 21 but were stopped by security forces deployed at the border points.

Besides MSP, the farmers are also demanding a farm debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases (against farmers), and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands.