JANUARY 17 ( Gulistan News Tv ) : With the increasing pressure from farmers and a plan to exert multi-pronged pressure on the Centre, farmer organizations Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have decided to stage another “Delhi Chalo” March. A group of 101 farmers will set out on foot from the Shambhu border towards Delhi on January 21. The statement has been taken by farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, which means that the farmers are ready to continue until their demands are met.
This will be the fourth attempt the farmers are going to make by marching towards Delhi after their earlier efforts on 6, 8, and 14 December got derailed due to tear gas shells and barricades placed by the Haryana police. On those incidents, Haryana had witnessed some high-voltage drama for many hours when farmers collided with police forces. Unlike earlier attempts, this march has been jointly organized by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), indicating a unified and intensified push for their cause.
Meanwhile, the hunger strike by 111 farmers reached its second day at the Khanauri border and farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on his hunger strike since Day 52. Concerns over his health are rising with reports saying there is a danger of multiple organ failure as the fasting continues. His protest, however, reflects the issue that has really caught the farmers’ imagination-the demand for legal guarantee on MSP for crops.
Pandher condemned the failure of BJP leaders, who had promised earlier that the farmers’ right to march peacefully on foot to Delhi would be accepted. Instead, the Haryana police and the central authorities have continued to foil their journey multiple times. Pandher urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to respect the farmers’ right to peaceful protest and allow their march to Delhi.
The march will be led by prominent farmer leaders, Manjit Singh Rai and Balwant Singh Behramke. Their unwavering commitment also speaks to the determination of these 101 “Marjeevdas,” the people ready to give their last breath for what they are asking for. So, this is going to receive a lot of attention and popularity, which further amplifies the voices of farmers.
The January 21 march is an extension of other mass protest movements that include the fast-unto-death launched by 111 farmers at Khanauri. These protests began on February 13 last year after security forces did not allow farmers to march toward Delhi to present their demands. Farmers, under the banners of the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana, braving harsh conditions to sustain their movement.
In response to the gathering, the Haryana Police have increase security near the Khanauri border by imposing Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which prohibits the gathering of five or more people. Such steps are indicative that the authorities are keen on preventing further escalation; however, these actions also resonate with protests from the farming community.
As tensions intensify and the farmers get ready to make their next move, all eyes remain on the question: will the government finally take a call on their demands for the guaranteed MSP? Or will the farmers have to keep fighting? The decision will soon come out buy yet, the thing which is decided yet is that the group of 101 farmers will carry out March on January 21. Gulistan News Tv
