Punjab Police hold meeting with farmer leaders at Shambhu ahead of march

Chandigarh: Punjab Police held a meeting with the farmer leaders at the Shambhu border point on Thursday, a day before their march to Delhi.

Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will carry out a foot march to the national capital seeking a legal guarantee for minimum support price of crops, and over their several other demands.

On Thursday, Deputy Inspector General of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu (Patiala Range) and Senior Superintendent of Police Patiala Nanak Singh met farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Surjit Singh Phul.

Sidhu said the farmer assured police that they will be peaceful and will not take tractor-trolleys in the march. "They will go on foot," he said.

Farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

Ambala administration in Haryana had on Wednesday asked the farmers to reconsider their march and told them to contemplate any action only after getting permission from the Delhi Police.

The local administration has already imposed Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, restricting assembly of five or more persons in the district and issued notices at the protest site near Shambhu border.

Notices were also sent to the homes in Punjab of two farmer leaders, including Pandher.

It was earlier announced that the first 'jatha' (group) of farmers would be led by Satnam Singh Pannu, Surinder Sinhgh Chautala, Surjit Singh Phul, and Baljinder Singh.

On February 21, Shubhkaran Singh, a farmer from Punjab, died during a clash at Khanauri border when the protesters tried to march towards Delhi. Teargas shells were also lobbed by the security forces.

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

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