North News
Chandigarh, December 6
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Bhagirath Choudhary, extended an olive branch to protesting farmers on Friday, assuring them of open dialogue regarding their demands. “I am their brother, and the doors are open. If they want us to go to them, we are ready to meet them,” he told reporters.
Farmers demand a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Their list of demands also includes farm debt waivers, pensions for farmers and laborers, no hikes in electricity tariffs, withdrawal of police cases, and justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. They are also calling for the reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation for families of farmers who died during the 2020-21 protests. The government’s willingness to engage in talks may set the stage for negotiations as farmers continue to push for action on their grievances.
Farmers have temporarily suspended their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march after Haryana Police used tear gas to disperse the first convoy of 101 farmers, causing injuries. Speaking to reporters on Friday at Sambhu border, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher confirmed the suspension, stating, “We have called back today’s ‘jatha’ as many farmers were injured due to tear gas. The march has been suspended for now, and we will decide on the next course of action after a meeting.”
Meanwhile, the Haryana government has suspended internet services and bulk SMS in parts of Ambala district from December 6 to December 9, due to farmers protest at the Shambhu border while attempting to march towards Delhi.
The internet ban, enforced by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Misra, applies to 11 villages, including Dangdehri, Lohgarh, and Devi Nagar, and aims to curb misinformation and maintain public order during the protests. The farmers are demanding legal guarantees for a minimum support price (MSP) for crops, reigniting tensions following earlier farmer movements in the region. Police have sealed the border on the Ambala side, citing concerns over “public peace and agitation.”
