‘A welcome step, though too late’: Farm leader on Supreme Court order on Shambhu border

The Haryana government had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway in February after the two outfits announced that farmers would march to Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

“How can a state block a highway? It has a duty to regulate traffic. We are saying open it but regulate,” Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said.
Pandher, who was in Majitha assembly constituency on Friday, said, “On Saturday, our morcha at the borders will complete five months.
The Haryana government had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway to block our way, and this is the first time the Supreme Court has spoken about this highway. It is too late, but still we welcome this reaction from the apex court. Now let’s see how the Haryana government plans to remove the barricades and let traffic flow for one and all.”

He added, “Our next jatha (group) from Baba Bakala and Majitha will move towards Shambhu on July 20.”

KMM and SKM (non-political) have also appealed to farmers of Punjab and Haryana to come out in large numbers at Ambala grain market on July 17 to protest against Ambala police for not releasing Navdeep Singh Jalbera, a farmer from Ambala, who was arrested on March 28.
Satnam Singh Pannu, president of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) – a unit of KMM, who was in Kapurthala on Friday, said, “We have formed wings of men and women in many villages, and jathas have made a roster under which they have made lists of farmers who would march to Shambhu in the next two months. Similar rosters will be made in future also. So, the government should not take us lightly. We have been camping at the borders since February 13 and have the energy and determination to continue further. We will not lift the dharna until our demands are met. We will march to Delhi when the highway is opened.”

He added, “If the Centre and the Haryana government can get in the way by stopping us from reaching Delhi, we too will put the BJP in its place. The Opposition too won’t be spared if they don’t raise our issues in Parliament.”
For the record, groups of men and women have been going to Shambhu and Khanauri borders in batches for 10 days in buses, trollies and trains.

Pandher added, “Who will be held accountable for the losses incurred by industrialists, transporters and others. This should also be fixed by the courts.”