Farmers begin fresh stir at Chandigarh borders, recall 'Delhi chalo' agitation

Thousands of protesting farmers from Punjab and Haryana on Sunday started gathering on the outskirts of Chandigarh, the joint capital of both states, as part of a three-day protest over demands which the Centre had conceded on 9 December 2021.

They warned that they have come prepared for a long haul. Many of them brought along vegetables, sacks of flour and lentils, and cooking oil on their tractor-trailers.

The farmer unions under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) have given a nationwide call for the protest to mark the third anniversary of the historic ‘Dilli Chalo’ agitation by farmers, and non-fulfillment of demands like promise of a minimum support price (MSP) guarantee law.

This time, the call is for ‘Chandigarh Chalo’, to lodge a protest in front of the Raj Bhavans of Punjab and Haryana in Chandigarh.

The protesting farmers, comprising men and women — both young and old — and school and college students riding tractor-trailers, cars and motorcycles, have been assembling on the borders of Mohali in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana.

Police of both states and Chandigarh have been deployed in strength and borders sealed to prevent the forceful entry of the farmers to Chandigarh. However, there was no report of any violence or the use of force to disperse the protesters.

The assembled farmers have pitched their tents and parked their vehicles, largely tractor-trailers, on roads leading to the city for their stay, even setting up makeshift kitchens to serve food to the protesters.

“The farm unions will move towards the Raj Bhavans to lodge a protest against the Union government over the non-fulfillment of their demands,” Darshan Pal, member, coordination committee of the SKM, told the media. He said if needed, they would extend the agitation indefinitely.

“We are carrying rations that can last up to two months,” said Sarbjit Singh, a farmer from Khanna town.

“Just like the year-long protest at the three Delhi border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — we are now ready for a similar protest on the borders of Chandigarh,” said octogenarian farmer Gurdev Singh, who is camping along with his sons, grandsons and granddaughters.

The farm unions demand also include compensation for crops damaged due to pest attack and floods in Punjab and Haryana.

Both Punjab and Haryana Police have issued a travel advisory, asking commuters to avoid certain road stretches along Chandigarh's borders in the wake of the protests.