Dismantling barricades, more farmers enter Hry

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh , November 27

More Punjab farmers forced their way across the state’s border with Haryana on Friday, dismantling barricades and cement pillars raised by the Haryana Police at Dabwali. As a 6-km-long convoy of tractors and trucks entered Sirsa district, the cops chose not to block the farmers’ way. Also, hundreds of farmers joined the “Delhi Chali” protest in their cars.

The farmers were to leave at 11 am. But a large group of youths, without waiting for instructions from their leaders, went ahead and pulled down barricades at 10.30 am. Some protesters damaged police vehicles and turned off water cannons on the Bathinda-Delhi highway. The framers entered Sirsa district, raising “BKU Ekta Ugrahan zindabad “and “Jo bole so nihal” slogans. A sizeable number of youngsters wore T-shirts with Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s picture.

The farmers headed to Delhi from Dabwali faced restrictions at the Panjuana bridge and at Agroha after they crossed Fatehabad. But they succeeded in having their way. Farmers’ leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal and Gurnam Singh Charuni said the farmers’ stir had now become a “people’s movement”, drawing support from various sections.

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Support from various sections

-Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal

-Anganwari Mulazin Union, Jalandhar

-Punjab Civil Medical Services Assn, Bathinda

-Pharmacy Officers’ Association, Bathinda

– Nursing Staff Association, Bathinda

– Class IV Workers Union, Bathinda

– Ludhiana Goods Transport Association

– All-India Motor Transport Congress

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Chandigarh: A day after protesters broke barricades on the Punjab-Haryana border at Khanauri in Sangrur, the Haryana Police on Friday allowed passage to a 5-km-long cavalcade of trucks and tractor-trailers. “We will dismantle all barricades raised to stop us,” said a defiant Sandeep Singh, a young activist of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan). Passions ran high with the farmers repeatedly raising slogans such as “Sat Sri Akal” and “BKU Ugrahan Zindabad”. BKU leader Rajpal Singh said: “Apart from grocery items, we are carrying chana (gram) and gur (jaggery).” BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) general secretary SS Kokrikalan claimed that over 50,000 farmers were headed towards Delhi from Khanauri. TNS