Highlights:
- The Haryana police used tear gas & water cannons at farmers’ mainly from Rajasthan who broke the police barricades and were trying to move towards Delhi to join the main agitation
- The farmers have been demanding that the three laws passed by Parliament in September should be revoked
- The government and representatives of farmers are to meet today
On Sunday, the personnel from the Haryana police fired tear gas shells on the eve of the next round of talks between the Central Government and the protesting farmers’ unions which is to happen on Monday to stop a group of farmers, mainly from Rajasthan, who were travelling to Delhi.
The incident occurred at approximately 4 pm near Sangwari village in Rewari district, on NH-48, about 16 km from Gurgaon.
Rajesh Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Bawal, said, confirming that tear gas shells were fired: “The protesters said there were not enough provisions for those who had gone ahead.” They sought permission to go and set up a langar for them, and were allowed to do so. When they got there, though, the whole group attempted to break through the barricades and move ahead.
More than 300 farmers forced their way through the barricades on the Rajasthan-Haryana border on Thursday to reach Rewari. Close to 50 additional farmers followed them on Sunday, mostly of them were from Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, after which the police fired tear gas shells.
However, most of the protesters stayed at the border. Today about 15-20 tractors came into Rewari…they had a clash with the police. Many of us who obey the lead of the Samyukt Kisan Union, however, are still at the border and will continue to stay there. Based on the result of today’s meeting with the government, the next course of action will be decided. If they do not meet our demands, after January 6, we will look to move towards Delhi,’ said Ramzan Chaudhary, head of Jai Kisan Andolan’s Nuh unit, which is part of the Samyukt Kisan Union, the umbrella body of protesting farmers’ unions at Delhi border.
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The farmers’ leaders reiterated their demands on Monday before their talks with the government. “Our specifications remain the same. The laws on farms must be repealed. There is a need to roll back the two amendments and the government must listen.” Jageer Singh Dalewal, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), while talking to reporters said, “Our agitation will continue.”
We have a Lohri program on January 13 in which we will burn copies of the three farm laws. We invite all on January 18 to carry out protests as they deem fit. We also want to inform the Punjab government that there will be protests against them if they don’t stop the lathicharge and police action against people in the state. We’re against both the BJP and Congress because it’s a farmers’ issue,” Manjit Rai, BKU, Doaba, told a press conference in Singhu.”
Over the weekend, officials from the Agriculture Ministry worked in New Delhi to prepare for the next round of talks. The government is “highly concerned” and needs a “positive outcome,” an official said.
Farmers are demanding that the three recently passed farm laws be abolished and that legal guarantees be given on the minimum support price for procurement.
Meanwhile, on the Singhu and Tikri borders, where farmers have been camping for over a month now, three deaths have been confirmed. In Tikri, Jagbir, 66, from the district of Jind, and Jashnpreet, 18, from Bathinda, died.
On Saturday night, Jashnpreet was admitted to the civil hospital in a delirious state. He was referred to PGIMS, Rohtak, after initial treatment, where he died,” a Jhajjar police officer said.
In the other incident, at the protest site itself, a body was found inside a truck. He is believed to have died of a heart attack,’ he said.
Shamsher, 44, a farmer from Sangrur, was on protest who died in Singhu. “After he complained of chest pain, Shamsher died at around 8 am. He was taken to Sonipat and was declared dead there. He and his 13-year-old son, a Dalit farmer, were protesting,” said Jagmohan Singh of BKU-Dakaunda.
