Farmers’ March: No Problem For Public, Says Haryana Govt

Haryana has restricted the protesters’ movement to the national capital by sealing the borders of the state.

Police deployed water cannons to disperse farmers .

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bharadwaj

State Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday, 25 November, according to ANI, said that “the Haryana government has made all arrangements to ensure that the general public doesn't face any problem.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers from Punjab are marching towards Delhi, despite much difficulty, for their ‘Dilli Chalo’ demonstration against the three farm laws passed by the central government. According to NDTV, the state police set up barricades and deployed water cannons across the state.

The BJP-ruled state of Haryana has imposed Section 144 as a preventive measure to stop the protesters from gathering, and over a hundred farmers have already been taken into ‘preventive custody’.

Balbir Singh Rajewal, the President of Bharatiya Kisan Union, has said that he thinks the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has sealed the borders because he believes that “Punjab is not part of India.”

Cops Deploy Water Cannons

In Ambala, police deployed water cannons to disperse farmers who had gathered on the Chandigarh-Delhi Highway to proceed to Delhi for staging a demonstration, according to ANI. According to NDTV, after crossing the barricades at Ambala, hundreds of farmers faced water cannons at Kurukshetra.

“People, thoroughly drenched in the cold winter evening, ran helter-skelter,” wrote NDTV in its report.

Police make a human barricade to stop various farmer organisations during a protest march against the farm reform bills, in Hisar district, Wednesday, 25 November, 2020. (Photo: PTI)

Further, according to NDTV, the farmers managed to breach the barricade. They are now marching through Kurukshetra en route to Karnal. A section of farmers are reportedly already on their way to Sonipat,

Security forces had been earlier deployed at the Chandigarh-Delhi Highway. Citing COVID-19, the Delhi Police had already denied permission to protest in the city on Monday.

The protesting farmers have threatened to block all roads leading to Delhi if they’re not allowed to express their discontent.

Rajewal has also tweeted, "We will peacefully block the routes to Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir. Will start dharna on the roads.”

Tight security arrangements on a Singhu-Narela border ahead of the scheduled farmer’s protest march to Delhi on Nov 26-27 against the Centre’s new farm laws, in New Delhi on Wednesday, 25 November.(Photo: PTI)

Nation Owes Eternal Debt to Kisans, PM Modi Must Intervene: Sukhbir Singh Badal

Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday took to Twitter to allege that by “stopping Punjabi farmers from peacefully exercising democratic rights, Centre is repeating 1982 when the Akalis were stopped from entering Delhi to protest.”

“Painful history must not be forced to repeat itself,” wrote Badal.

He further condemned Haryana government for “cutting Punjab off from the rest of the country” and urged PM Modi to intervene and make sure that the “annadatas are not harassed and humiliated or stopped from reaching Delhi.”

“Nation owes eternal debt to Kisans and Jawans.”   

Sukhbir Singh Badal   

Earlier in the day Badal had also tweeted:

“Government’s confrontation with Annadata is pushing Punjab and country towards chaos. It has already turned into ‘people of Punjab v/s Delhi’ and this can lead to unpleasant developments. I urge PM  Narendra Modi or imm intervention to remove farmers’ grievances and not throw Punjab into jaws of crises.”   

Haryana Police Says Avoid Highways

The Haryana Police on Tuesday issued travel guidelines asking commuters to avoid certain national highways along the state border with Punjab and Delhi.

In order to ensure ‘’law and order’’, road blockages and diversions have been put in place on four major national highways leading to the national capital for November 25, 26 and 27.

A call has been given by protesting farmers’ organisations to gather at Shambhu border in Ambala, Mundhal Chowk in Bhiwani, Anaj Mandi at Gharaunda in Karnal, Tikri border in Jhajjar and Rajiv Gandhi Education City at Rai in Sonepat where blockades will be put up, Haryana Police said in a statement to NDTV.

“These guidelines are issued for all the citizens so that they can plan and modify their journey to avoid any inconvenience.” 

Diversions will be created at four major National Highways leading towards Delhi - from Ambala, Hisar, Rewari and Palwal and at entry points from Haryana to Delhi.

Diversions will also be created at various road entry points from Punjab into Haryana.

According to the police, 2,00,000 farmers affiliated to United Farmers Front are set to march to Delhi. This protest comes after a number of failed talks with the central government on the three contentious farm laws. 

(With Inputs from PTI, IANS & NDTV)