Farmers Hold Tractor Marches in Punjab and Haryana on Independence Day

Farmers held tractor marches at several places in Punjab and Haryana on Independence Day to press the Centre to accept its demands, particularly a legal guarantee on MSP for crops.

The protest was organised by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) which are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march in support of the farmers' demands.

Farmers from Punjab led by SKM (Non-Political) and KMM began the 'Delhi Chalo' march to Delhi on February 13 to demand minimum support price for crops, among other things, but were stopped by Haryana Police, which had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway. The farmers are ever since camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points.

Reports said that in Amritsar, around 600 tractors, sporting the tricolour and flags of farmers' outfits, participated in the march led by farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, who slammed the Centre for not considering its demand of giving legal guarantee to MSP. He ruled that farmers were not getting the right prices for their crops.

The reports also said that farmers burnt the copies of three new criminal laws -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) -- alleging that they would curtail human rights.

A tractor march was also taken out at the Shambhu border. Farmer leaders said 'mahapanchayats' will be held at Shambhu and Khanauri borders on the completion of 200 days of the 'Delhi Chalo' march on August 31.