Group of 101 Punjab farmers to resume Delhi march from Shambhu border on Jan 21

A group of 101 farmers will resume on January 21 their march to Delhi from the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana 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.

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The move 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.

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. However, there attempts were foiled by paramilitary forces and Haryana Police, deployed on the bridge bisecting the Ghaggar River.

Over 50 farmers were injured in the previous three attempts. One farmer, who was not part of the jatha, had consumed poison during the third attempt on December 14.

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,” he said.

On January 15, a group of 111 farmers began a fast-unto-death in solidarity with their leader Dallewal and vowed they wouldn't relent until their demands were met.

The new 'jatha' sat on the Haryana side of the border -- Dallewal has been sitting on a hunger strike since November 26 last year at the Khanauri border point on the Punjab side.

The Haryana Police has enhanced security on its side of the border. It has already imposed Section 163 of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, banning gatherings of five or more people.

The protesting farmers have expressed concern over Dallewal's “deteriorating” health, saying he risks “multiple organ failure” because of the prolonged fasting.

Dallewal, who is the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 last year.

Farmers, under the banner of the SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after security forces did not allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands including a legal guarantee for MSP for their crops.