Farmers 'Delhi Chalo' (march to Deli) kickstarted on Friday with a 'Jattha' of 101 protestors heading to India's National Capital to protest against the Government of India. After a face-off between the farmers and Haryana Police & security forces, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher announced the suspension of the march for today. During the face-off with the Haryana Police, at least 6 farmers were injured.
Following that farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher gave one-day ultimatum to the Modi government to accept their demands or hold a serious meeting with the,. Pandher while talking to the media said, "...We will wait till tomorrow for talks with the government, otherwise, a 'Jattha' of 101 farmers will march towards Delhi on 8 December at 12 noon... I think the Prime Minister is not even listening to the Vice President. If the round of talks had started, a happy solution to this movement could have been found... The government is not ready for talks... For us the ruling party and the opposition are the same, they all do politics..."
Farmers 'Delhi Chalo' March in a timeline
- Tens of thousands of protesting farmers, mainly from Punjab, gathered at two interstate borders of Haryana in support of 'Delhi Chalo' protest march by a delegation of 101 farmers.
- The 'Jattha' of 101 protesting farmers started their march at around 1 p.m. on Friday, for their long-pending demands including legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and a loan waiver.
- At 1:30 pm, the Haryana government has announced a temporary suspension of mobile internet and bulk SMS services in parts of Ambala district until December 9 midnight. The decision comes in light of a planned farmers' march to Delhi from Punjab’s Shambhu border via Haryana.
- Punjab AAP chief and cabinet minister, Aman Arora, appealed to the Modi government on Friday to hold talks with protesting farmers as they embarked on their procession to the national capital.
- A standoff between Haryana Police and protesting farmers reached a flashpoint at the Shambhu border at 2 pm.
- Things started to go haywire as Haryana Police fired tear gas shells at farmers trying to march towards Delhi from the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border.
- Sarwan Pandher then talked to the media and said, "We should be allowed to go towards Delhi peacefully or we should be talked to about our demands. The doors for talks are open from the farmers' side. We have been saying that if the government wants to talk, then show us the letter of the central government or the CM office of Haryana or Punjab. We want the central government to accept our demands. They should give us a place to protest in Delhi. Internet services should be restored in Ambala. Either we should be allowed to go to Delhi or we should be talked to.
- Around 3 pm, farmers trying to reach Delhi on foot removed barricades and barbed wires installed at the Sambhu Border.
- At 3: 30pm, MoS (Agriculture) Bhagirath Choudhary while talking to the media said, "Doors are open for the farmers to come and have dialogue regarding their issues. I am also their brother and if they want to come, doors are open, if they want us to go there we will go in between them to have dialogue."
- Around 4 pm, Sarwan Pandher recalled the 'Jattha' back and suspended the march to Delhi for the day. Pandher also outlined that 6 farmers were injured during the standoff.
- At 6 pm, Pandher gave a 1-day ultimatum to the Modi Government. He said, "We will wait till tomorrow for talks with the government, otherwise, a 'Jattha' of 101 farmers will march towards Delhi on 8 December at 12 noon... I think the Prime Minister is not even listening to the Vice President. If the round of talks had started, a happy solution to this movement could have been found... The government is not ready for talks... For us the ruling party and the opposition are the same, they all do politics..."
- Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala came in support of the farmers. At 6: 20 pm, Surjewala said, "The 3 farm laws were withdrawn with the promise that a law guaranteeing MSP will be brought. Now 2 years have passed. Once again the farmers of the country are sitting on the border...The farmer, who is called the God of the Earth, is now being stopped by using sticks, tear gas, concrete walls... When the country's Agriculture Minister was asked whether he would make a law to guarantee MSP, he openly evaded the question. This somehow reflects the intention of the Modi government. The Prime Minister of the country should call the farmers for talks without any delay. A law should be passed to guarantee MSP in this session of Parliament. This is the demand of the Indian National Congress."