Farmers suspend Delhi march after Haryana assures talks, agrees to demands
Thousands of farmers from Punjab on Tuesday suspended their planned march towards Delhi after the Haryana government accepted two of their key demands, including the
Thousands of farmers from Punjab on Tuesday suspended their planned march towards Delhi after the Haryana government accepted two of their key demands, including the release of detained farmer leaders and an assurance that a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would be held within the next 8–10 days. The farmers, protesting against the proposed India-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA), had assembled at the Shambhu border for a one-day march to Delhi's Kisan Ghat to hold a Kisan Mahapanchayat. Read Full Story However, following talks between farmer representatives and Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana, the protest was called off and the farmers agreed to return home. Addressing the media after the meeting, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the discussions had yielded a positive outcome. "Two key demands were met: release of detained leaders including Gurnam Singh Chaduni and BM Singh and assurance of a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan within 8-10 days," Pandher said. He added that the farmers had decided to suspend their march after receiving these assurances from the Haryana government. Confirming the agreement, Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana said the state government had received the memorandum submitted by the farmer organisations and would forward it to the appropriate authorities for further action. "I have received the demands submitted by the farmers' union, and we will forward it to the appropriate authorities so that all issues can be resolved," Rana said.
"Regarding the matter concerning Gurnam Singh Chaduni, I will speak to the Chief Minister and ensure a resolution by this evening. We will arrange a discussion with Union Minister Shivraj Chouhan, or whoever the central government designates, within a week or 10 days," he added. More than 2,000 farmers, primarily from Punjab, had reached the Shambhu border early Tuesday morning under the banner of organisations including the Desh Bachao Morcha, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and unions such as the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni). They travelled in buses with plans to march to Delhi but were stopped by heavy police barricading at the Haryana border. The Haryana Police had fortified the Shambhu border with concrete blocks, multi-layer barricades and a heavy security deployment. Authorities also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNS), preventing large gatherings and restricting the movement of the protesters towards the national capital. Despite the restrictions, Pandher maintained a conciliatory stance and urged protesters to avoid confrontation with the police. "We will not create any conflict from our side. We have neither decided to block the road nor will we stop it. Nor do we want any clash with the government," he said. Responding to questions on whether ongoing student protests in Delhi had influenced the administration's decision to stop the march, Pandher said, "There has been no notification of section 163 being imposed.
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