On Sunday, farmers trying to march to Delhi had to stop after some got hurt from teargas used by the Haryana police. The farmers wanted to cross the Punjab-Haryana border, but the police made a strong barricade to stop them.
When a group of 101 farmers started their march, police surprised them by offering tea and biscuits and even threw flower petals at them. But the protesters thought it was a trick because soon after, the police used teargas and water jets to force them back.
The farmers, known as ‘marjeevras’ because they are very passionate about their cause, found themselves just a few meters from their goal when the police stopped them. This went on for over three hours before the farmers decided to go back for the day.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, a leader among the farmers, said six protesters were hurt, and one needed to go to a hospital in Chandigarh. He criticized the police for their actions, saying it was wrong to use teargas against peaceful farmers who were just protesting for better prices for their crops.
Farmer leaders will meet on Monday to decide what to do next. They want the government to talk to them about their demands, which include a legal guarantee for a fair price for crops, and other issues related to farming.
On Friday, during an earlier attempt to march, some farmers also got hurt from the teargas. Farmer leader Baldev Singh Zira said that the police’s actions were just a show. He pointed out that the farmers were not carrying any weapons and were moving peacefully.
The farmers have been protesting at the border for over 300 days. They feel they should be allowed to march peacefully to Delhi, but they keep getting stopped, causing them to wonder why the government doesn’t listen to their demands. Another farmer leader, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, is on a hunger strike, showing how serious the situation is. The farmers are asking for things like debt relief, a pension plan, and justice for fellow farmers who lost their lives during protests in the past.
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