The farmers of Haryana and Punjab called for a protest titled “Chalo Dilli,” against the three farm bills.
The three farm bills are, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020, were cleared by the President of India.
According to the passed bills, the Minimum Support Price (MSP,) area of trading would be under the purview of the Indian Government
The reason behind the farmers protest is their fear of being at the mercy of corporates or zamindars for crop prices. The new bills would also demolish the Minimum Support Price (MSP) advantages for farmers
After Haryana Police blocked their entry at Khanauri border in Sangrur district on the 25th of November, Punjab’s farmers changed their strategy to march to Delhi.
On the 26th of November, a group of farmers and leaders of the Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) Ekta Ugrahan, a Kisan union in Punjab, started walking to Delhi through other routes.
Previously, the group decided to march and enter Delhi through highways, but due to heavy barricading by the Haryana Police, they had to change their strategies and walk again today morning.
Members of the Kirti Kisan Union, BKU Kadian and Rajewal factions plan to assemble at Mastuana Sahib in Sangrur and head for Shambhu border at 11: A.M., on the 26th of November.
Bhupinder Singh Longowal, a State Committee Member of the Kirti Kisan Union said, “Members of the BKU Ekta Ugrahan and Sidhupur have already occupied borders in Sangrur so we have decided to march to the Shambhu border in neighbouring Patiala.”
Gurmeet Singh Bhattiwal, the district chief of BKU Dakaunda, said, their cadre and other farmer outfits would begin a march to Haryana on the Samana-Chika route from Patiala district.
In the wake of the farmers’ protest, security has been tightened at the Delhi-Faridabad border.
Faridabad Police said, “We’ve clear instructions to not let any members of Bharatiya Kisan Union enter Delhi today and tomorrow (the 26th and 27th of November) Police teams deployed at all important entry points.”
In addition, Delhi metro services to neighbouring cities of the national capital would remain suspended till 2:00 P.M., on the 26th of November.
In a late evening statement, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation also announced no metro services from Anand Vihar to Vaishali and New Ashok Nagar to Noida City Centre till 2:00 P.M., today.
However, regular metro services will remain available in the entire section of Airport and Rapid Metro lines during the period.
The statement released by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation read, “After 2 pm on Thursday, train services will resume on all Lines from end to end without loops regularly.”
Meanwhile, Eish Singhal, the Public Relation Officer (PRO) of Delhi Police said, “Various farmer organisations have requested permission for protest in Delhi on November 26 and 27. We have conveyed to them in writing and through various media also that the protest is not permitted in view of the latest DDMA guidelines.”
The Delhi Police officials are deployed in the entire city to control the farmers entering in Delhi to protest.
Nearly 2,00,000 farmers are heading to protest against the three farm bills in Delhi.
