Unions yet to decide on fresh talks offer | ‘Dilli Chalo’ put off for 2 days
Shambhu:Talks between Central officials and farmer leaders spearheading the “Dilli , aChalo” campaign since Wednesday morning came to a standstill and turned ugly after the death of a 22-year-old farmer in action by the Haryana Police at Khanauri, a special report by Aman Sood in The Tribune Chandigarh, says.
Over 100 protesters were injured, a few of them grievously, following the use of rubber bullets and tear gas shells by the Haryana Police at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders.
Feb 23 ‘Black Day’: Trade unions
The deceased farmer has been identified as Shubhkaran Singh of Balloh village in Bathinda. He received a “bullet” injury in the rear part of his head at Khanauri.
“We cannot say clearly if it was a rubber bullet or an actual bullet till the post-mortem is conducted,” said a doctor at Government Rajindra Hospital, where the victim was earlier rushed for treatment.
Relatives said Shubhkaran had just over two acres of landholding and was the only brother of two sisters. His father had died a few years ago.
Meanwhile, trade unions across the country have condemned the young farmer’s death and injuries to others in police action at Khanauri, bordering Haryana. They have urged both organised and unorganised sectors to observe February 23 as ‘Black Day’, calling for nationwide protests.
Uphold law & order: MHA to Punjab
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday issued an advisory to the Punjab Government, urging it to uphold law and order amid the ongoing farmers’ agitation. It has asked the Bhagwant Mann government to take stringent action against lawbreakers.
Meanwhile, the farm unions have delayed their “Dilli Chalo” march and said they would hold discussions for two days and take a final decision on Friday evening.
“We will stay put at Shambhu and Khanauri and won’t enter Haryana. We are yet to decide on the Centre’s fresh talks offer as we are shocked over the death of the young farmer,” said a farm leader.
Earlier, Punjab and Central Government officials held talks with farmer leaders at the Shambhu border. Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher and senior SKM (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal remained adamant on the MSP for all crops and an announcement in this regard either by the Prime Minister or the Home Minister.
As the talks continued inside the Shambhu police post among the farm leaders and government officials over another round of meeting with Union ministers, hundreds of protesting farmers and the Haryana police were locked in an intense face-off.
As farmer activists tried to go near the barricades set up at the barrier, the Haryana Police fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. Some tear gas shells landed near ambulances stationed some 400 metres away from the Haryana barricades.
“On the one hand, the Centre is offering talks, but its own government in Haryana is ‘firing’ at our youngsters. There is no point in holding further discussions,” said Dallewal.
After marching towards the barricades around 4.30 pm, both Dallewal and Pandher had to rush back for cover when the Haryana Police fired tear gas shells.
In the evening, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh visited health facilities and met injured farmers, journalists and police personnel.
Meanwhile, BKU chief Balbir Singh Rajjewal and All India Kisan Federation chief Prem Singh Bhangu said if the two leaders spearheading the “Dilli Chalo” had “acted with restraint, incidents such as these could have been avoided”. “While the Haryana Government is wrong in using force, the two union leaders are equally responsible,” they said.
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