2 weeks ago

Haryana seals Khanauri border to stop farmers' Delhi march

Haryana seals Khanauri border to stop farmers' Delhi march
Haryana seals Khanauri inter-state border point · thehansindia.com

Farmers in India wanted to walk a very long way to Delhi to tell the government they are worried about a new trade deal with America.

They are afraid the deal might hurt their farms and make it hard to sell their crops for a fair price.

The police in a state called Haryana put up big walls, wires, and trucks at the border to stop them from walking through.

The police said the farmers did not have permission for their walk.

The farmers' leader said they just wanted to walk peacefully, but the police blocked the road.

The farmers' leader asked to talk to the national agriculture minister instead of the state leader.

The farmers said they would sit quietly by the road until they could talk to the right person.

They also want the government to promise to buy their crops at a fair price.

Another farmers' group, the Bharatiya Kisan Union, warned that big American farms could push small Indian farmers into trouble if farming is part of the deal.

This is a story about farmers and the government disagreeing over a trade deal.

Key facts

Event
Kisan Bachao Padyatra (farmers' foot march)
Distance
228 km from Data Singh Wala to Jantar Mantar, Delhi
Organizer
Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political)
Leader
Jagjit Singh Dallewal
Participants
51 farmers and around 200 volunteers/supporters
Culmination
Farmers' panchayat in Delhi on August 29
Key Demands
Exclude agriculture, dairy, poultry, fisheries from India-US trade deal; legal MSP guarantee (Swaminathan Commission C2+50% formula)
Talks
Three rounds of talks with Haryana officials remained inconclusive

Quotes

Jagjit Singh Dallewal

SKM (Non-Political) leader leading the farmers' march

“This barricading has exposed the BJP government. On earlier occasions, they had a problem when farmers came with tractors. Now, when only a small group of farmers wants to march on foot to go to Delhi, they still have a problem and are not allowing us to proceed. This exposes the anti‑farmer face of the government. Our plan was to proceed peacefully, but they have put up such heavy barricading. Everyone should now know that it is not the farmers who block the roads, but the government.”
theprint.in indianexpress.com
“"Our main issue is the India-US trade deal. CM saab is not capable of addressing this issue. Nothing will come out of a meeting with him. The Union agriculture minister should hold a meeting with us. If the agriculture minister gives time to us in the next few days, we will sit here peacefully until then,"”
theprint.in

Sources

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