2nd meet on Shambhu border opening remains inconclusive

Convener of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha Sarwan Singh Pandher reaffirmed the farmers’ stand stating that leaving behind tractors and trailers would be tantamount to abandoning the protest.

The second round of meeting of Punjab and Haryana officials with farmer unions to persuade them to lift the six-month-old blockade at the Shambhu border remained inconclusive with protesters sticking to their stand to march to Delhi with tractor-trailers.

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The meeting which was called by the Punjab special director general of police (law and order) at the Patiala police lines on Sunday lasted only for an hour with neither of the sides willing to compromise, people familiar with the development said.

This was the second meeting between the farmers and the Punjab and Haryana officials. The first meeting held on August 21, too, remained inconclusive with farmers sticking to their stand to march to Delhi, while the Haryana government insisting that farmers can proceed to the national capital sans their tractors and trolleys.

The Supreme Court on August 22 told Punjab and Haryana to assure agitating farmers to clear the highway along the Shambhu border and deferred the decision on forming the expert committee to resolve the concerns of farmers over minimum support prices and other issues till September 2.

Hundreds of farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border in response to the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march that began on February 13. These protestors have put forward 10 demands, including a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, implementation of Swaminathan Commission’s formula, full debt waiver for farmers, pension for farmers and labourers and withdrawal of cases against farmers during the 2020-21 protest among others.

Convener of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) Sarwan Singh Pandher reaffirmed the farmers’ stand stating that leaving behind tractors and trailers would be tantamount to abandoning the protest.

“We have again made it clear to officials of the Haryana government that we will take our tractor-trailers with us,” Pandher told the media after the meeting.

The farmer leaders have consistently been demanded the immediate reopening of the Shambhu barrier on the Punjab-Haryana border.

Pandher said the ongoing case in the Supreme Court between a petitioner and the Haryana government has nothing to do with farmers. “Despite this, farmer unions have held discussions with the Haryana government over the issue,” he added.

Spokesperson of the BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) Tejveer Singh said there was no law-and-order issue in Punjab where farmers had been staging a sit-in for the past over six months. He said tractors and trolleys are essential for farmers for surviving the harsh weather conditions and sustaining the protest.”

Kaka Singh Kotla of the BKU Ekta Sidhupur expressed dismay over no headway in talks, accusing the Haryana government of holding meetings merely to report to the Supreme Court.

The meeting was attended by the Punjab special director general of police (law and order) Naresh Kumar; DIG, Patiala range, HS Bhullar, former ADGP Jaskaran Singh, Patiala DC Showkat Ahmad Parray, Patiala SSP Nanak Singh, Ambala SP Surendra Bhoria and Ambala SDM Darshan Kumar.

The meeting started around 2pm and was over before 3pm, said officials privy to the matter.

Officials of Haryana and Punjab refused to comment on the outcome of the meeting citing the matter being sub-judice.

A Punjab government official, who wished not to be named, said: “Farmers were again requested to open one lane of the national highway for ambulances and school buses with assurance that they won’t march to Delhi using that lane. But the farmers did not budge.”

Kangana slammed for ‘rape’ remarks

KMM convener Sarwan Singh Pandher flayed Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut for his alleged comments claiming that there was “riotous violence” and “rapes” during the farmers’ protests. Pandher dismissed her statement as politically motivated and aimed at garnering attention for her upcoming film. He accused Ranaut of attempting to defame the farmers’ movement with baseless allegations.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Neel Garg also accused Kangana of making controversial remarks to disrupt Punjab’s atmosphere and peace. Garg claimed that she gives statements defaming the farmers of Punjab and sometimes even calls Punjabis terrorists. “Her statements seem as if she has the support of the central leadership of BJP or the party is deliberately making her give such statements,” he alleged in a statement, accusing the party of targeting the state after the farmers’ movement.

The AAP leader appealed to the central leadership of BJP to put a stop to Kangana’s controversial statements. “This is sending a wrong message,” he added.