Chandigarh- Several farmers' unions under the banner of the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha are leaving for Chandigarh on Wednesday to launch an indefinite agitation for their demands. Taking a cautious approach, the Chandigarh Police has deployed heavy security forces and sealed all the borders entering the city and has issued an advisory to travellers to avoid certain routes.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) President Joginder Singh Ugrahan has appealed to farmers not to block roads, highways and railway tracks as this will create problems for the general public. He advised the farmers that if they are stopped from moving forward, they should stage a protest on the roadsides. He appealed to all the farmers' unions to join the permanent protest in Chandigarh and register a strong protest, where the administration has not yet allotted a place for the protest. Official sources said that the farmers will be stopped at the city limits.
The SKM has accused the Punjab government of suppressing their right to protest. Apart from implementing the agriculture policy, the SKM's demands include distribution of land to landless labourers and farmers and loan waiver of farmers and labourers.
After the failure of talks between the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the SKM on Monday, police have been raiding the houses of farmers' leaders, including the collections, since yesterday.
It is worth noting that the talks to discuss the farmers' demands could not be concluded, after which the leaders announced that they would go ahead with the call for a massive sit-in in Chandigarh.