Protesting Indian farmers to march toward capital New Delhi

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - Farmers in India are resuming their march to the national capital New Delhi to press the government to guarantee a minimum support price for all crops besides other demands.

“People from several states will start moving to Delhi from today,” Gurlal Singh Mann, a farm representative told Anadolu.

Dozens of farmers' unions from Punjab, a northwestern state that is considered the country's food basket, called for a "Delhi Chalo," or "March to Delhi." Their demands include a law on minimum support price which protects farmers from shocks in case of a bad crop year.

On Feb. 13, farmers in hundreds of tractors and trolleys attempted to enter Haryana state, which borders New Delhi, and clashed with police when they were stopped from entering Haryana.

Subsequently, a week later, one protester died and dozens of farmers and security personnel were injured in clashes which took place after farmers again attempted to enter Haryana.

Following the death of a protester, unions suspended their march to New Delhi.

According to farm leaders, those farmers waiting at the borders between Haryana and Punjab will not resume their march toward Delhi as authorities have put up barricades.

“Only farmers from other states will start moving toward the capital starting from today,” said Mann.

“We cannot say how much time it would take for farmers from different states to reach Delhi. They will come by foot,” said Mann.

With farmers announcing to resume march to Delhi, the authorities have intensified the security measures at the borders of the capital.

The Delhi police will be keeping a strict vigil at the border as well as at railway, metro stations and bus stands, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

A traffic jam was also reported at the borders around Delhi on Wednesday, as police beefed up security measures.

There have been several rounds of talks between farmers and the government. Farmers' leaders during the talks rejected the government's proposal for five-year contracts and guaranteed support prices for crops such as pulses, corn, and cotton, saying they wanted a legally guaranteed minimum support price for all crops across the country.