A group of 101 farmers from Punjab is set to begin a march towards Delhi on Friday afternoon as part of the ongoing ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest, demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and addressing several other long-pending issues.
The farmers, representing the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), have named their march the ‘Marjeevda Jatha’ (Martyrs’ Brigade), in honor of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, on his martyrdom day. “The name symbolizes the commitment to sacrifice in line with the teachings of the Gurus,” said Tejveer Singh, spokesperson for the Bhartiya Kisan Union Shaheed Bhagat Singh (Haryana).
Only 101 farmers will participate in the march, which is set to confront the barricades erected by Haryana police. “No other farmers will follow them. If security forces use force and our farmers are injured, we have an 80-member rescue team ready to provide medical aid,” said Guramneet Singh Mangat, a KMM leader.
Although key farmer unions in Haryana have opted out of joining the march, they have strongly warned the government against using force against the protesters. A similar protest earlier this year at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders saw violent clashes, with police using tear gas to disperse the crowd. The clashes led to the tragic death of Shubhkaran Singh, a young farmer from Punjab’s Bathinda district.
The farmers are demanding that the government introduce a legal framework to ensure MSP, which they say will protect farmers from exploitation and guarantee fair prices for their produce. The ongoing protests have highlighted the deepening dissatisfaction among Punjab’s farming community, as they continue to push for their demands despite facing significant challenges.
