Punjab farmers staged a sit-in near the Chandigarh-Mohali border on Tuesday after being stopped from going to the state capital to pressurize the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over various demands, including bonus on wheat and starting paddy sowing from June 10. But sat down. Terming the protest as unwarranted and undesirable, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked the farmers’ unions to stop shouting slogans and join hands with the state government to check the depleting water level in Punjab.Mann said his doors are open for farmers to talk, but hollow slogans cannot break their resolve to further reduce the water level. He also said that he is the son of a farmer and is well aware of the problems faced by the crop growers.Earlier, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal gave an ultimatum to the Punjab government saying that if the chief minister does not hold a meeting with the protesters by Wednesday, he will move towards Chandigarh to hold an indefinite protest.
In Chandigarh, heavy police force was deployed along the Chandigarh-Mohali border in view of the call for an indefinite protest by several farmers’ organizations.Mohali police put up barricades and tippers and used water cannons to stop the protesting farmers from entering Chandigarh. The Chandigarh Police had also made similar security arrangements. A farmer leader said that this is the beginning of our struggle in Punjab and it will continue till our demands are met. So far only 25 percent of the farmers have come here. More will come tomorrow. It’s a do or die fight.
