101 farmers to resume Delhi march: Pandher

Chandigarh: A group of 101 farmers will resume on January 21 their march to Delhi from the Shambhu border point to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said on Thursday.

The “jatha” (group) of 101 farmers earlier made three attempts to head towards Delhi on foot on December 6, December 8 and December 14, last year at the Shambhu border. They were not allowed to proceed by security personnel in Haryana.

The fresh move of protesting farmers came a day after a group of 111 farmers began a fast-unto-death on the Haryana side of the border near Khanauri in solidarity with fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered its 52nd day on Thursday. Speaking to reporters at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana on Thursday, Pandher, who is the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader, slammed the central government for not accepting the demands of farmers who have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri for the last 11 months.

“Both the forums (SKM-Non Political, KMM) today decided that the ‘jatha’ of 101 farmers will resume their march to Delhi on January 21 from the Shambhu border,” said Pandher. “We have seen and we also feel that the government is not ready for any talks. It was the decision of both the forums to intensify the agitation,” said Pandher.