THE NEWS FREEDOM
AMBALA, FEBRUARY 13
Tension flared at the Haryana-Punjab border on Tuesday as farmers clashed with police, leading to tear gas being used to disperse the crowd. Farmers gathered at the Shambhu border in large numbers, responding to a call by farmers unions for a “Delhi Chalo” march. Despite warnings from authorities, protesters attempted to remove barricades erected to prevent them from entering Haryana and proceeding towards the capital. Later, the Police used drones to drop tear gas shells on farmers.
Faced with a potentially volatile situation, Haryana police resorted to tear gas to control the crowd. Some farmers retaliated by throwing stones at officers. The farmers were demanding a Minimum Support Price (MSP) law.
Yesterday, after five hours of deliberation talks between farmer leaders and Union ministers concluded inconclusively. Farmer leaders speaking to the media revealed that no concrete outcomes emerged from the discussions. Farmer leaders have said that the government has time till 10 am on February 13 to address their demand. Expressing frustration, they warned that if the Centre persisted with its stance, they would have no choice but to proceed with their planned ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. Reports indicate that the meeting concluded without any tangible outcomes, with farmers remaining steadfast in their demand for a legal assurance on Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The Union ministers – Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, Punjab Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav met with farmer leaders, including Samyukta Kisan Morcha leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26 of Chandigarh.
After the talks ended late at night on Monday, SKM leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal expressed disappointment, stating that the government remained steadfast in its position. He announced plans to consult with other farmers’ unions and proceed accordingly.
During the meeting, discussions included the withdrawal of cases filed against farmers during the 2020-21 agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, as well as compensation for families of farmers affected by the previous agitation.