Centre-Farmer Talks Fail, Bulldozers Deployed at Shambhu and Khanauri Borders by Mann Government

Bulldozers deployed at Shambhu and Khanauri borders after failed Centre-farmer talks

Farmers demanding a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops had been protesting at Punjab’s Shambhu and Khanauri borders, adjacent to Haryana, for the past 13 months. The Punjab government, led by Bhagwant Mann, systematically removed the protest sites and deployed bulldozers at both locations. The state government chose the timing of the meeting between farmers and central ministers to launch this “protest site removal operation.”

On Wednesday, as soon as the seventh round of talks between the non-political faction of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and central ministers ended without any resolution, police detained farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Uglewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, who had been on a hunger strike for the past four months. As farmers returned from the meeting to Shambhu and Khanauri, police started detaining them on their way. The protesting farmers had anticipated police action beforehand.

During the police action at Ramuwala border, tents set up by farmers were removed using bulldozers.

By morning, a large number of farmers had already packed their belongings onto tractors and trolleys and returned home. Some women and farmers who refused to leave voluntarily were detained. After that, police demolished the protest stages, removed tubelights and fans, and dismantled makeshift shelters built for eating and sleeping. Tin sheets were also removed.

At the Khanauri border, the clearance operation was completed by 8 PM, whereas at Shambhu border, the demolition of structures continued late into the night.

It is notable that farmers had started their protest at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders on February 13, 2024. The Haryana police had barricaded the roads, causing major inconvenience to commuters. The way this action was carried out indicates that the strategy was jointly planned by officials of both the Centre and Punjab governments. Internet services in the surrounding areas of both protest sites were also shut down.

Following the meeting with farmers, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan stated that discussions took place in a cordial atmosphere. He mentioned that the concerns raised by farmers needed to be assessed for their impact on various sections of society, and the government had sought time to deliberate on them. Farmer representatives from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, who also attended the meeting, reiterated that their struggle would continue until a legal guarantee for MSP is secured.