Farmers To Restart ‘Delhi Chalo’ March Today After Night Halt: 10 Points

Protesting farmers will resume their march today to Delhi after facing a chaotic confrontation at the Punjab-Haryana border. A day after being ended with a temporary ‘ceasefire’, the farmers decided to have a fresh start despite the huge security deployment.  The march will be led by the Samyuktha Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. 

1. Farmers after calling for a “ceasefire” on Tuesday promised to “try again” today. They have encountered strong resistance from Haryana police at two key border points. 
2. The Haryana government has extended its ban on mobile network and SMS services in seven districts till February 15. On Tuesday, farmers had to face tear gas shells and water cannons from police to prevent them from advancing, reports Mint.
3. Farmers have blamed the Center “for the attack” and claimed that 60 of them were injured when the police used tear gas shells at the Punjab-Haryana border.
4. The farmers are protesting over a list of demands which includes, a law on MSP, farm loan waiver, and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission. 
5. The farmers are prepared for a prolonged struggle to achieve their goal as they come equipped with six months’ worth of rations and diesel. 
6. The police have fortified Delhi, barricading borders with concrete blocks and tyre deflators. Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal government has declined the center’s proposal to convert a stadium into a “holding area” to confine them, if they try to enter the city. 
7. Union minister Anurag Thakur said yesterday that a law guaranteeing MSP cannot be brought in a hurry without consulting the stakeholders. He urged the farmers to have a structured discussion with the government.
8. The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) requested the Cheif Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Tuesday to take actions against “erring farmers” for trying to enter Delhi forcibly claiming that it will create nuisance and disturb the daily lives of the citizens. 
9. In the light of clashes, the Punjab government has put hospitals and ambulances near the border and has urged the Haryana government to refrain from using any kind of excessive force on the protestors. 
10. The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Tuesday strongly condemned the steps taken by the central government to suppress the farmers’ protest.