Delhi Chalo: Farmers reach outskirts of Delhi

Thousands of farmers are inching closer to Delhi, with the police enhancing deployment of security personnel and using sand-laden trucks, water cannons and tear gas shells to prevent the protesters from entering the city as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar appealed for talks on December 3, but the farmers have not responded yet.

After face-off with police at multiple places, farmers continued their march through the night and are now only a few kilometres away from Delhi. This has prompted the Delhi Police to close traffic movement at the Singhu Border in view of the farmers’ protest against Centre’s farm laws. Delhi Metro services from neighbouring cities are set to remain suspended today as well.

Farmers from six states — Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Kerala and Punjab — are backing the march to Delhi. The protest, planned for over two months, has the support of 500 farmers’ organisations.

For nearly three months, the farmers have been up in arms against the farm laws, aimed at bringing reforms by removing middlemen and improving farmers’earning by allowing them to sell produce anywhere in the country. The farmers and opposition parties opposed the laws saying that it could lead to government stopping the system of buying grain at guaranteed prices, which would leave farmers at the mercy of corporates.