Security personnel keep vigil in view of farmers’ protest, in Chandigarh, on March 5, 2025. Farmers associated with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Wednesday claimed they were not being allowed to head towards Chandigarh for a planned ‘dharna’ in support of their various demands.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Farmers associated with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Wednesday (March 5, 2025) claimed they were not being allowed to head towards Chandigarh for a planned ‘dharna’ in support of their various demands.
In view of the dharna, barricades have been set at the Chandigarh-Mohali border points and security beefed up.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is a conglomerate of more than 30 farmer bodies, has given a call for a week-long sit-in in Chandigarh starting March 5 in support of their various demands.
The outfit said farmers, who left for Chandigarh in tractor-trolleys and other vehicles on Wednesday morning, were being stopped by the Punjab Police.
In Moga, Krantikari Kisan Union district Moga president Jatinder Singh said they were stopped at Ajitwal in Moga district by the Punjab Police when they were going to Chandigarh. Mr. Singh claimed some of them were “detained” by police.
Farmers also raised slogans against the Bhagwant Mann government for not allowing them to go to Chandigarh.
In Samrala also, farmers were stopped by police from moving to Chandigarh, they said.
The Chandigarh administration has denied permission to farmers to hold their sit-in at Sector 34 in the city.
On Tuesday, the Chandigarh Police had issued a traffic advisory, saying traffic movement on certain road stretches may be regulated on March 5 to ensure smooth vehicular flow and public safety.
On Tuesday, Punjab Police “detained” several farmer leaders, including Balbir Singh Rajewal, Ruldu Singh Mansa, Gurmeet Singh Bhatiwal, Nachhttar Singh Jaiton, Veerpal Singh Dhillon, Binder Singh Golewal and Gurnam Bhikhi.
SKM leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan on Tuesday had called upon farmer leaders to head towards Chandigarh.
He had asked farmers to sit at a vacant place if they are stopped by police on their way to Chandigarh, telling them not to block any road.
Mr. Mann on Tuesday lashed out at several farmer bodies for resorting to protests every other day, turning Punjab into a “state of dharnas” and causing a huge loss to the State.
Mr. Mann denounced farmer organisations after talks between the Punjab government and Samyukta Kisam Morcha leaders to discuss farmers’ demands broke down midway on Monday.
The SKM, which had led the 2020 agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws, is demanding the withdrawal of the Centre’s draft of the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing, a legal guarantee to minimum support price as per the Swaminathan Commission report, implementing the State’s agricultural policy, purchase of six crops, including basmati, maize, moong, potato at minimum support price by theSstate government.
They are also demanding a law for debt settlement, ownership rights of land tillers ensuring canal water to every field, payment of sugarcane arrears, stopping “forcible” acquisition of land for the Bharatmala projects and jobs and compensation for kin of farmers who lost lives during the farmers’ stir in 2020-21.
Published – March 05, 2025 11:03 am IST
