Shambhu truce shattered as cops lob tear gas to disperse irate youths

The shelling took place around 2 pm Friday noon when some youth set jute cloth on fire and tried to fling it towards the barricades. Although the burning sacks fell short of the barricades, alert cops manning the barricades started shelling tear gas.

Today’s incident is reflective of an uneasy calm prevailing at the Haryana border, where the protesters are waiting for a go-ahead from the farmers leaders. The farmers leaders raised the issue of the restive youths to the union ministers during a meeting that went on till late midnight, seeking an early resolution of the issue.

Despite pleas from the organizers of the Dilli Chalo protest at the Shambhu border, the group of young farmers insisted on doing this mischief. Dilbagh Singh Harigarh, a member of BKU-Ekta-Azad, urged protestors not to succumb to provocation and to maintain calm. Avoid clashing with the police, he said.

Ishaan Singh Brahmpura from Taran Tarn also tried to talk sense into a small group of youths. But Jobanpreet Singh, a Class XII student from Fatehgarh Sahib, voiced frustration over the lack of marching orders, questioning the purpose of the protest if leaders weren’t ready to march to Delhi.

As shelling commenced in the afternoon, injured youths sought medical assistance at nearby camps. Avtar Singh from Muktsar also noted the growing restlessness among the youth, some of whom wondered whether the government really wanted to resolve their issues.

Avtar Singh, a farmer from Malout in Muktsar, said youth were getting restless. “They have been waiting here for there days but there are no marching order. They are so excited that I wonder if the protest iscalled off, how they will be asked to retreat. Breaking the barricade will take just an hour because there are no more than 1000 security personnel.”

Tejinder Singh Teja, a young farmer from Upleri village near Rajpura, said, “What is the need of this morcha, if we can’t move forward?.”