Chandigarh: Even as the police detained many protesting farmers and stopped them from entering Chandigarh at different locations in Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, the farm leaders have threatened that they would hold a meeting on September 2 to decide the next step of their stir for their demands.
Pertinently, a large number of farmers having allegiance with more than 30 farm fora from the region including Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan had announced to carry out a tractor rally and gheraos Chandigarh on Tuesday to press for their demand for compensation for their losses in the recent floods.
Stringent Security Measures and Detentions
It was in this wake that the Punjab and Haryana police had made elaborate security bandobust to stop them in their respective areas and detained several of them at different locations in the region.
Heavy police force as well as para military force were deployed on the periphery of Chandigarh so as to prevent the entry of crowds of protesting farmers by the Punjab and Haryana police.
Showdown Ignited by Recent Incidents
On the Ambala-Mohali border, the Haryana police, which had made elaborate arrangements, had detained more than 100 farmers so as to stop them from entering Chandigarh from that side. A group of farmers had also attempted to block Chandigarh-Hisar national highway though were removed by the police.
According to reports reaching here, groups of farmers were also stopped or detained at different borders of the Punjab following which they had begun their sit-ins at different toll plazas.
According to reports, on Chandigarh entry points only, more than 4,000 personnel of Chandigarh police and para military forces were deployed to ensure the entry of the protesting farmers.
Next Moves for the Farmers' Struggle
It may be recalled that the farmers who had been demanding compensation for the damage caused to their crops due to recent floods had got further angered after the Punjab police arrested some of its leaders late Sunday night. The farmers' fora intensified their stir on Monday and also clashed with the police in Sangrur area in which one of the farmers was run over by a tractor which further angered the protesters following which they threatened to gherao Chandigarh.
Meanwhile, according to an official release, the revenue, rehabilitation and disaster management minister Brahm Shanker Jimpa said that chief minister Bhagwant Mann had released Rs 186 crore to compensate the crop loss of the farmers of the affected districts due to floods.
Meanwhile, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Tuesday said that they would hold a meeting on September 2 and decide their next step to press upon their demands.
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