Punjab farmers march today, Govt calls for peace, talks

“The Centre can also announce the waiver of debts. They can take the figure from the banks. A mechanism on how it should be rolled out can be worked out later,” Pandher said.

Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda appealed to the farmers to maintain peace.

“I would appeal to the farmers and the farmer organisations which are connected with this (protest) to maintain peace. We have to take it forward from discussion to solutions… We must keep discussing this issue… We all want peace… and we should together find a solution for this issue. We tried to hold the discussion… and several proposals were also discussed. We have come to know that they (farmers) are not satisfied with the proposals. But this discussion should continue and we must find a solution to it peacefully,” Munda was quoted saying by news agency ANI.

Gurdeep Singh Chahal, a spokesperson for Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Sidhupur), said farmers would move with their tractors and trolleys.

He said the gathering of farmers at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points had grown. Pandher and BKU (Sidhupur) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Chahal said, would lead the protest at Shambhu Wednesday.

A Punjab Raj Bhavan statement said Governor Banwarilal Purohit had postponed his visit to the border areas. He was to go to the border districts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka.

In the Punjab and Haryana High Court, while hearing PILs on the ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest march, Acting Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia said, “How can you go from Amritsar to Delhi in a tractor trolley?… If you want to go to Delhi, you may go by bus.”

The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji was hearing two PILs – one seeking directions to stay all obstructive actions by the governments of Haryana, Punjab and the Union government against the farmers’ protest; and the second seeking action against the agitating farmers.

In its affidavit, the State of Haryana said it will take all possible steps against violators of law and ensure that protesters do not block important roads and places in the state.

The Punjab government, in its affidavit, stated that all Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police have been directed to ensure that no JCB machine or any other heavy machinery is allowed to move towards districts Patiala and Sangrur.

The Punjab affidavit said that as of February 19, the gathering at Shambhu border, District Patiala, was around 13000/13500 people during day time and 11000/11500 during night time. The Haryana Police, it stated, has set up strong barricading at the Shambhu border and the present situation was peaceful.

The gathering at Khanauri border, District Sangrur, was around 4500/4600 during day time and 3700/3900 during night time, it stated.