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The farmers’ union Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) (Non-Political), led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, had given a call for the Kisan Bachao Padyatra (Save Farmers Walk) from Data Singh Wala village, Jind district, Haryana on the interstate border to Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The plan was to walk 228 kms to Delhi culminating in a farmers' meet on 29 Aug against the proposed India-US trade deal and to press for a legal guarantee for procuring crops at the Minimum Support Price. However, three rounds of talks between representatives of the SKM (Non-Political) and Haryana government officials remained inconclusive. Dallewal rejected the officials' offer of a meeting with the Haryana chief minister and insisted on arranging an appointment with the Union Agriculture minister to discuss their issues. The police had deployed multi-layered barricades, concrete blocks, metal barriers, and riot-control personnel to stop the pedestrians. On 15 Aug, as 51 padyatris (pedestrians) began their walk from the interstate border, the Haryana police stopped and detained them. Dallewal said, ‘This barricading has exposed the Bharatiya Janata Party government. On earlier occasions, it had a problem when farmers came with tractors. Now, when only a small group of farmers wants to march on foot to Delhi, it still has a problem and is not allowing us to proceed. This exposes the government's anti-farmer face.’ Commuters traveling through the border area have been advised to remain on alert and follow instructions issued by police and local administration. The farmers, now released, are camping at the Khanauri interstate border. They say their agitation will continue until their demands concerning agricultural policies and farmers’ interests are addressed. Meanwhile, some farmer unions in Panjab attacked the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over its opposition to the union government's E20 ethanol-blended fuel policy. They accused the state government of indulging in political posturing instead of engaging in constructive talks with the union government. The criticism came during a Kisan Vidhan Sabha (Farmers' Assembly) organized by the Azad Kisaan Morcha (Free Farmers' Front) in Chandigarh, in which 16 lesser known farmer unions participated. Concurrently, reduced rainfall in Maharashtra and Karnataka—India's biggest sugarcane-producing states—might force India to consider restricting the amount of sugarcane used for ethanol in the season beginning October to boost sugar output and try to calm record prices (earlier coverage).
Barricades at Khanauri Interstate Border | Photo by The Print
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