On Thursday, various farmer unions from the state of Punjab camped up at the Chandigarh-Mohali border to stage protest against the Aam Aadmi Party led Punjab state government. They carried ration, beds, fans, utensils, and cooking gas cylinders and stationed at the border to press the AAP government to fulfill their demands.
According to the reports, the farmers belonging to various farmer unions are demanding increased bonus on wheat and permit to paddy sowing schedule from June 10. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal warned on May 18 that if all the grievances of the farmers are not redressed, they will break the barricades and move towards Chandigarh. “It is the start of our struggle in Punjab and it will continue till our demands are met. Only 25 per cent of farmers have come here so far. More will come on Wednesday. It is a do or die battle,” the leader was quoted.
Punjab | Morning visuals from Chandigarh-Mohali border where farmers are sitting on a protest against the state government over various demands. They were stopped by the state police from entering Chandigarh, yesterday, May 17 pic.twitter.com/fUnr0bwz4Z
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2022
The leader further said that the protestors had recieved call from the Chandigarh DGP that a meeting with CM Mann had been fixed on Wednesday at 11 am. But he called again to inform that CM Mann had gone to Delhi and that the chief secretary was available for the meeting. The protesting farmers were not hopeful of getting their issues redressed by meeting a government official. This led to the protests at Chandigarh-Mohali border.
The protesters gathered on May 17 and marched from Gurdwara Amb Sahib towards the border. They broke the first layer of barricades set up at YPS Chowk and moved towards the other barriers put up by the Mohali Police near the Chandigarh-Mohali border. They were stopped by the police on May 17 near the Gita Bhawan where leader Dallewal urged the protesters not to break the second layer of barricades and instead begin the protest there peacefully.
Punjab | Farmers sit on a protest at the Chandigarh-Mohali border against the state government after police stopped them from entering Chandigarh
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2022
“Our protest will continue until our 11 demands are fulfilled,” says a farmer pic.twitter.com/AIWGrrKvGJ
The farmers are protesting against the state Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the nonfulfillment of their demands. Apart from bonus on wheat and preponement of the paddy sowing schedule from from June 18 to June 10, the farmer’s demand list includes guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 23 crops including maize and green grams, uninterrupted power supply, and removal of the ban on the export of wheat.
As reported earlier, the farmer’s unions had held talks with CM Mann about their demands but there was no resolution. Following the failure of the talks, the farmers decided to take out the protest march. Reportedly, CM Mann left for Delhi to meet AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal leaving farmers in the state unattended. Taking to Twitter, Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira said, “The way Bhagwant Mann left the farmers in lurch and unattended by leaving for Delhi to meet Arvind Kejriwal it shows how much concern he has for the farmers of Punjab!
However, this is not the first time that the farmers from Punjab are protesting against the government for pressing their demands. Earlier, the farmers had protested against the Central government who had passed the three farm acts in September 2020. The AAP government had also supported the farmers and had urged the centre to immediately resume talks with farmers and accede to their demands. “Aam Aadmi Party extends support to call given by Samyukt Kisan Morcha to observe a countrywide protest on 26 May marking the completion of 6 months of their Andolan. We urge the centre to immediately resume talks with farmers and accede to their demands. AAP stands firmly with the farmers,” AAP’s Raghav Chadha had tweeted.
Khaira slammed the AAP for leaving the farmers unattended at the Chandigarh-Mohali border and accused that all the AAP’s support for farmers’ agitation in Delhi was politically motivated and only for political gains.
The way @BhagwantMann left the farmers in lurch and unattended by leaving for Delhi to meet @ArvindKejriwal it shows how much concern he has for the farmers of Punjab! It means all the Aap support to farmers agitation in Delhi was politically motivated and for political gains!
— Sukhpal Singh Khaira (@SukhpalKhaira) May 17, 2022
At present, heavy police force has been deployed at the border who is trying to take the control of the situation. While the aggressive farmers carrying ration, beds, fans, utensils, and cooking gas cylinders have decided to protest for long, AAP’s Punjab unit chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang has stated that the government is committed to the welfare of the farmers and it will address farmer’s genuine demands.
