Delhi Chalo: Borders Tense Amid use of Extreme Measures by Haryana Police, Third Round of Talks Today

The second day of the 'Delhi Chalo' protest by the farmers of Punjab and Haryana saw an escalation of tensions between the police and the protesting farmers. The farmers allege that police used "extreme measures to disperse the crowds" and halt their movement towards the national capital. 

These extreme measures, as per the farmers, included the use of pellet guns at Khanauri and Shambhu borders. The Khanauri border is situated between Punjab and Haryana. To stop the farmers' movement, Haryana police have barricaded the border. Moreover, in a continuation of its tactics on day one, police used tear gas from drones at the Shambhu border. 

On their part, farmers used kites to bring down drones used by Haryana police. In the last two days, many farmers have suffered injuries. On February 14, the second day of the protest, around 40 farmers "sustained injuries as the Haryana Police employed rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse the protesting crowd gathered at the Singhwala-Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana." The border was the site of confrontations between the Haryana Police and protesting farmers on the first day of the protest. 

Punjab's Patiala Deputy Commissioner (DC) Showkat Ahmed Parray wrote to the Ambala Deputy Commissioner, "asking him not to send their drone inside Punjab's territory at the Shambhu border near Ambala." Reacting to this letter, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij questioned if the border between the two states had become the India-Pakistan border. 

Haryana government has banned mobile internet services and SMS services in various districts, including Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa. The ban will continue for the third day on February 15. 

Even as tensions continue at the borders, farmers are set to meet Union ministers Nityananda Rai, Piyush Goyal and Arjun Munda for a third round of talks on Thursday, February 15. 

The talks will be held in Chandigarh. 

"We met ADGP Jaskaran Singh and spoke with other Punjab officials who assured us of an amicable solution at tomorrow's meeting in Chandigarh," said Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary, Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee. 

"Our union leaders and members will camp at Shambhu tomorrow and wait for the meeting to end. We are hopeful that the result will be positive," he said. 

"We have urged the Punjab Government to ensure that the meeting ends in a written assurance for resolution of our demands. As against the general perception created by some vested interests, we are always open for discussion," Pandher said.

Among other demands, the farmers are also demanding a law on minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised that his party would implement such a law as per the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission on agricultural reforms if it is voted into power.