Farmers Movement Archive

Haryana seals borders with Punjab, water cannons used to stop farmers’ march

Undeterred by heavy security arrangements, farmers in Haryana on Wednesday brazenly challenged the police personnel, used tractors to remove and demolish multi-layer barricades on highways and marched towards the national capital in vehicles to join the ‘Delhi Chalo’ stir against the Centre’s three agriculture laws. The Haryana police also used water cannons against the state’s farmers on the national highway in Ambala and Kurukshetra to stop them from moving to Delhi. The state has also suspended its transport bus service to Punjab with immediate effect because of the stir. “We have suspended roadways service to Punjab for the next two days,” transport minister Mool Chand Sharma said.Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday had said the state government has decided to seal the Haryana-Punjab border on November 25 and 26 and Haryana-Delhi border on November 26 and 27 in view of the proposed ‘Delhi Chalo’ call given by the farmers. Haryana had set up road barricades on borders with Punjab and deployed additional police forces to prevent farmers’ entry into the state. Cranes were used to put boulders on roads to stop their movement and traffic was diverted to alternate routes. Water cannons and ambulances were also stationed on the inter-state borders. Restrictions have also been imposed at other inter-state borders with Punjab, including Sirsa, Kurukshetra and Jind districts. Ambala was the epicentre of confrontation between police officials and peasants. Security forces deployed across the state were on their toes as Haryana sealed its border with Punjab to prevent entry of farmers from the neighbouring state. Despite appeals to withdraw the ‘Delhi Chalo’ call, farmers gathered in sizeable numbers on the national highway near the new grain market in Ambala Cantonment. Farmers, mostly from northern districts of Haryana— Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and other nearby areas—had begun assembling in the forenoon. The peasants led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Gurnam Singh Charuni hit the roads using tractor trailers, cars, bikes. They were also carrying ration and tents. Tension prevailed as farmers outnumbered the cops and resorted to removing barricades even as police exercising restraint desisted from using force to prevent law and order situation. Police used water cannons when the farmers managed to break the barricades in Ambala. Superintendent of police (SP) Rajesh Kalia said the farmer vehicles had tried to run-over the police. It was after a failed round of talks between police and BKU state chief Gurnam Singh Charuni that the activists started marching towards Delhi. They were stopped on the outskirts where police had erected cemented and iron barricades which were later broken by the agitating farmers. Police made yet another futile attempt to stop the farmers who on their vehicles broke the barricades and crossed Ambala towards Kurukshetra. Stating that police avoided direct confrontation with the farmers, Ambala SP accused them of creating law and order situation. “The farmers resorted to stone-pelting...they tried to hit the cops with their speeding vehicles and run-over them...some cops might have got injured... we will lodge an FIR against them,” the SP said.Police failed to stop the farmers’ cavalcade in Kurukshetra district despite installing barricades and using water cannons. Barricades were set up at Karnal’s Karan Lake where the farmers were expected to reach late night. Police also tried to stop the farmers at Tyora vllage near Shahbad in Kurukshetra where water cannons were again used to stop them. However, the farmers managed to cross the barricades to march forward. “We are farmers and don’t have any plan or strategy but we will not clash with the police and continue our march peacefully,” Charuni said. He said they will try to reach Delhi and start their protest wherever the police will stop them. The district administration of Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts has blocked the state border to prevent entry of farmers from Punjab. “Police have been deployed at the state border in Cheeka of Kaithal district and farmers from Punjab will not be allowed to enter Haryana,” said Kaithal SP Shahank Kumar Sawan.The farmers stopped their cavalcade near Samana Bahu village of Karnal district for the night and will proceed for Delhi on Thursday morning.With inputs from Karnal, Rohtak, Ambala

Hindustan Times

25-11-2020

Chandigarh