New Delhi: The ongoing farmers' protests in India escalated with fervent tractor marches and dharnas in solidarity with the agitating farmers. On Saturday, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) organised a tractor march in Haryana, while the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) held dharnas outside the residences of senior BJP leaders in Punjab.
These demonstrations coincided with the fifth day of the 'Delhi Chalo' march, led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, the farmers stayed put at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border, continue to press the Centre to address their demands, reported PTI.
The farmers from Punjab began their march to Delhi on Tuesday but were halted by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana. The protesters have stayed put at the two border points since then.
About demands from the Centre, Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarvan Singh Pandher said, “The entire country is looking towards PM Modi to gather up courage and take firm decision on MSP and loan interest waiver. We hope to get good news from tomorrow’s meeting. We haven’t yet taken back our decision to go to Delhi, but if the central government accepts our demands, the matter will be solved here itself. The ball is in the government’s court.”
The Gurnam Singh Charuni-led faction, based in Haryana, took out tractor marches at various places in Haryana, with demonstrations in Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, and Sirsa. Charuni asserted full support for the demands raised by the protesting farmers in Punjab, announcing plans for a 'mahapanchayat' of farm organisations, labor unions, and sarpanch unions in Kurukshetra to strategise further actions in support of the agitation, reported PTI.
Over 150 tractors participated in the march and the protesters were raising slogans against the government and in favour of farmers' unity. Tractor marches were conducted in various tehsil headquarters of Haryana, asserting the widespread support for the farmers' cause. On Friday, BKU (Charuni) held protests at the toll plazas in the state.
Punjab Farmer Organisation Stages Dharnas Outside Amarinder Singh, Sunil Jakhar's Homes
Meanwhile, in Punjab, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) intensified its protests, staging dharnas outside the residences of former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and BJP's Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar. The farmer body also conducted protests at 21 toll plazas across 13 districts in the state, advocating for the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' call and urging authorities to waive toll fees for commuters.
However, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) remained resolute in their stance, with General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan announcing continued protests on Sunday. A meeting of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha was convened on Saturday evening to discuss the next course of action, further underscoring the determination of Punjab's farmer outfit to back the 'Delhi Chalo' march and push for their demands, as per PTI.
Among the key demands of the farmers are the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waiver, no increase in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases, justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act-2013, and compensation for families of farmers who died during previous agitations.