‘Looks like we will have to intensify, make protest bigger’: Rakesh Tikait after meeting with administration over farmers’ demands

After the meeting, although Superintendent of Police Surinder Singh Bhoria said, “The issue shall be resolved, soon”, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said, “It looks like we will have to intensify the protest and make it bigger.” The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sharma.

The protesting farmers have blocked National Highway 44 (Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar) since 2 pm on Monday. An ultimatum was given to the Haryana government to meet the demands but after getting no satisfactory response, the farmers Tuesday afternoon started pitching tents in the middle of the highway even as the traffic diversions for Delhi and Chandigarh-bound vehicles continue.

On Tuesday, the state government also released an advertisement citing how Haryana is purchasing sunflower at the highest rate compared to the other states and asked the farmers if it is a correct step to block the national highway.

Through the advertisement, the Haryana government claimed that “on June 12, 2023 – the market price of sunflower crop was Rs 4,077 per quintal in Karnataka, Rs 4,000 in Punjab, Rs 3,550 in Tamil Nadu, Rs, 3840 in Maharashtra and Rs 3,975 in Gujarat”. It added, “In Haryana, the price for sunflower crop was Rs 4,900 and the Haryana government has also recently released an interim relief of an additional Rs 1,000, making it to Rs 5,900 per quintal in the state.”

Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sharma had earlier issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC barring unlawful assembly of five or more persons in Kurukshetra. However, despite the prohibitory orders, huge numbers of farmers gathered in Pipli and are still blocking the national highway.