Pic/ PTI
The Haryana Police fired teargas shells on Sunday to disperse a group of protesting farmers who were attempting to march towards Delhi from the Shambhu border, located between Haryana and Punjab. The farmers, who had resumed their march earlier in the day, faced a severe confrontation with the police as they approached the multi-layered barricades put up by security forces.
The teargas shells forced the farmers to retreat several metres, with some protesters seen covering their faces and wearing protective eyewear to shield themselves from the effects. Others attempted to shield themselves from the shells using wet jute bags. The skirmish marked the latest episode in the ongoing standoff between the farmers and the authorities.
The protestors, a group of 101 farmers, resumed their foot march to Delhi after halting it briefly. They had been camping at the Shambhu border since their first attempt to reach the capital was halted in February. The farmers are pressing the government for a range of demands, including a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP), which they say is crucial to ensuring fair prices for their produce.
While the farmers managed to walk only a short distance before encountering heavy police barricades, they were determined to continue their march to Delhi. The police on duty asked the farmers to show proof of the required permission to proceed with their protest. When the march resumed on Friday, security forces had already fired teargas shells, injuring several farmers in the process, which had forced the protest to pause.
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Apart from the legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers have also been demanding that the Centre engage in meaningful talks to resolve their ongoing concerns, especially in light of the persistent issues that have plagued the agricultural sector. These protests have seen several rounds of negotiations between the farmers and the government, but many of their key demands remain unaddressed, further fuelling the unrest.
According to PTI, the standoff at Shambhu border is likely to continue as the farmers maintain their resolve to press the government for a solution to their grievances.
