Tear gas fired at farmers marching towards Delhi over MSP demand

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Tear gas was fired at farmers gathered at Shambhu on the Haryana-Punjab border Friday afternoon ahead of a 'Dilli chalo' march to press home their various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price, or MSP, waiver of farm loan debts, and protection from increased power tariffs.


Visuals shared by news agency IANS showed chaotic scenes at a police barricade across National Highway 44. In the 73-second video white smoke from tear gas canisters enveloped protesting farmers.


As the video pans out, rolls of barbed wire can also be seen and the gassed farmers are seen pulling back from the barricade. An elderly farmer, affected by the tear gas, is attended to by fellow-protesters.


Shortly before the farmers began their march, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told Parliament the Narendra Modi government is committed to purchasing ' produce at MSP.


"I want to assure the House... all produce of farmers will be purchased at Minimum Support Price. This is the Modi government and (we will) fulfil Modiji's guarantee," Mr Chouhan said, also taking the opportunity for a dig at the Congress, referring to his "friends from the other side".


"...they said, on record, they cannot accept the MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations... especially on paying 50 per cent more than cost price," he said, declaring the government is already buying paddy, wheat, jowar, soyabean at 50 per cent over cost of production from three years ago.


Over 100 farmers began marching from Shambhu on the Punjab-Haryana border today, but ran immediately into multi-layered police barricades on National Highway 44, triggering a tense stand-off.


Visuals shared by news agency ANI showed a small army of farmers and their supporters, waving flags and chanting slogans, gathering in front of metal barriers and a bus parked across the road.


Cops stationed inside the bus looked on impassively.


In another video a group of farmers, some waving the national flag, have broken past one layer of barriers - a yellow police fence lies dented on the road - and amass outside the parked bus.


#WATCH | At the Shambhu border, a police official says, "They (farmers) don't have permission to enter Haryana. The Ambala administration has imposed Section 163 of the BNSS..." https://t.co/zVSRcePdgO pic.twitter.com/NwkVbliejp
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2024



An uneasy tension prevails for now, although there are reports tear gas has been fired to keep the crowd of farmers - the current 'Dilli chalo' protest has rumbled on since January - under control.


Minutes before the march, mobile internet and sending of bulk messages were suspended - till December 9 - in parts of Ambala district. District officials have already issued orders banning gatherings of five or more people, and also ordered both government-run and private schools to shut for the day.


Today's protest is meant to press home farmers' longstanding demands for a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price, waiver of farm loans, and protection from increased electricity tariffs


The demand for legal backing for MSPs - which refers to a priced fixed by the government to protect farmers from a steep fall in crop prices; for example, during a bumper crop when prices plummet - a has been a core ask of protests that began in September 2020.

News Agency Explains | 

Centre's 5-Year MSP Plan, And Why Farmers Are Not Convinced


MSPs, however, have no legal backing, meaning the government is not obliged to buy, for example, 10 per cent of a farmer's paddy crop at the floor price. And it is this that the farmers want changed.


#WATCH | Farmers protesting over various demands have been stopped at the Shambhu border from heading towards Delhi. pic.twitter.com/Pm3HxgR2ie
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2024



This round of farmers' protests, as they have since they first began, have also taken on a sharply political tinge, with the opposition rallying behind their demands. And their voice, they claim, has been boosted by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his pointed question to Mr Chouhan.


On Tuesday Mr Dhankhar took up the farmers' cause and questioned the government.

READ | 

"Why Promises To Farmers Not Met": VEEP To Government


"Agriculture Minister, every moment is important... please tell me, what was promised to farmers (and) why was the promise not fulfilled? What should we do to fulfil the promise?" he asked at a public event.


Congress MP Rajeev Shukla also targeted the government, accusing it of having "turned back on its word". "The government promised legal guarantee of MSP but... this government doesn't do what it says... so farmers are agitated.." he said.

With input from agencies

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