Protesting farmers, largely from Punjab, sat on an interstate border of Haryana Friday to support the 'Delhi Chalo' foot march, but deferring their march for a day as they alleged that six of them got injured during a clash with security forces.
Also they were willing to hold parleys with the Centre over their demands that include legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops and loan waiver, without confrontation with the government.
At the Shambhu border, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said after holding a meeting with officials of the Haryana government at the protest site, "We have called off 'jattha' and not the march to Delhi on Saturday. Six farmers have been injured. They have faced the teargas. A lot of damage has been done."
Central paramilitary forces have also been deployed on the Haryana side of the border along with the state police.
He said farmers have maintained discipline. "Why treat farmers with animosity? Why stop farmers' peaceful protests? Farmers are ready for talks with Centre," Pandher said.
He asked, "Why is the government treating us like an enemy country? We are citizens of this country and have made many sacrifices for the nation."
As for what is going to happen next in the protest, he said, "Now 'jattha' of 101 farmers will proceed towards Delhi on December 8 at 12 noon. The day tomorrow has been reserved for talks with the central government.
"They have said that they are ready for talks, so we will wait till tomorrow. We want talks to happen. We do not want a confrontation with the government, we will remain peaceful."
Haryana Police asked the first batch of 101 farmers that were heading to the national capital not to proceed further and cited a prohibitory order clamped under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
At least 50 teargas shells were used by security forces to scatter protesting farmers when they attempted to cross specially erected barricades on the Shambhu border on their way to Delhi to enter Haryana earlier in the day.
Some of the farmers tried climbing over the border's makeshift barricade shed, which had been mounted with a massive number of paramilitary and police personnel. It had been erected just on the border to stop the protesting farmers from going forward.
Mobile Internet and sending of bulk messages have been suspended till December 9 in parts of Ambala district just before the start of the march. District officials have already issued orders banning gatherings of five or more people, and government-run and private schools were shut for the day on the administration's order.
However, the first contingent of 101 farmers dismantled road blocks and barbed wires, concrete blocks and iron nails erected just in front of the barricade shed that is protected by a heavy welded wire mesh.
The agitating farmers started the march towards the Parliament at 1 p.m. Following the ruckus for two and a half hours, the farmers returned to their makeshift tents stationed in Punjab and near the Shambhu border.
The police had told the farmers that they must not advance, but instead move back because they did not have permission to go ahead.
The Haryana Police has ensured their presence at the border at Ambala-Delhi with multilayered barricades on National Highway 44 at the Shambhu border and also deployed water cannons to prevent disruptions.
Punishing the farmers, Punjab AAP President Aman Arora appealed to the Central government to address their demands while warning against actions that might be escalated.
In a statement, Arora said, "Punjab's farmers have decided to begin a peaceful march from the Shambhu border towards Delhi. For the past 10 months, farmer organisations and their supporters have been sitting at Shambhu and Khanauri borders, raising legitimate concerns. The Punjab government has made numerous efforts to mediate and resolve their issues with the Central government, but it seems the Centre is turning a deaf ear to their plight."
He slammed the Haryana government for imposing prohibitory orders that "are now preventing the farmers from conducting their peaceful march".
The heavy security at the Punjab-Haryana border had already thwarted the attempts of farmers to march to Delhi on February 13 and 21. Since then, under the banners of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, the farmers have been protesting at these border points.
