The ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest was called off on Friday after clashes at the Sambhu border left 20 farmers injured during tear gas shelling by police. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher expressed disappointment with the central government, accusing it of unwillingness to engage in dialogue to address farmers’ demands.
Pandher highlighted the lack of any “positive initiative” from the government to resolve their issues.
“The central government is not in the mood to talk to the farmers. We can’t see any positive initiative to peacefully solve the issue from their side,” Pandher told media.
He detailed the injuries sustained during the protest:
“20 farmers have been injured. Fourteen farmers have gone to the hospital, two were seriously injured, and one was referred to Patiala. This is the condition here,” he said.
Criticism of Governments
Pandher criticized both the ruling NDA coalition and the INDIA bloc opposition, as well as the AAP-led Punjab government. He highlighted the poor conditions of farmers and laborers, especially regarding the disparity in pricing rights.
“Corporate and industries have the right to set the price for their produce, but laborers don’t get employment and farmers don’t get a fair price for their crops. In Punjab, they claim we sell crops at MSP, but that’s not true. We just want the right price for what we produce,” he said.
Ultimatum for Talks
Following the withdrawal of the march, Pandher announced that if the Union government does not engage in talks by Saturday, a group of 101 farmers would march toward Delhi on December 8 at noon.
“We will wait till tomorrow for talks with the government. Otherwise, a ‘Jatha’ of 101 farmers will march towards Delhi on 8 December at 12 noon,” Pandher declared at the Sambhu border.
He also expressed concern about the lack of progress:
“I think the Prime Minister is not even listening to the Vice President. If the round of talks had started, a happy solution to this movement could have been found. The government is not ready for talks. For us, the ruling party and the opposition are the same; they all do politics,” Pandher said.
The protest centers on several demands, including compensation for affected farmers and a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).