Farmer unions and Khap leaders at a mahapanchayat in Haryana’s Jind on Tuesday demanded that the ban on internet services and the blockade laid by the police on various roads of the district be lifted. It announced to hold pakka morcha (round-the-clock sit-in) on Delhi-Patiala Highway, partially blocking the traffic movement.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Azad Palwa told The Hindu over phone that around 2,000 representatives of different farmer unions and khaps from Jind had participated in the four-hour-long meeting and decided to hold indefinite round-the-clock sit-in blocking one of the carriageways of Delhi-Patiala Highway in Uchana. “If the need arises we will increase the number of pakka morcha and hold more sit-ins across the district,” said Mr. Palwa.
“The suspension of internet services in several districts of Haryana has made the life of the common man miserable. It had brought all internet-related activities to a halt adversely impacting the daily routine. Also, the police have blocked several roads making it difficult for the people to travel within the district. These barriers, which are meant to stop farmers from marching towards Delhi, should be removed,” said Mr. Palwa.
The Khap leaders called for all farmer unions in Haryana to join hands and put up a united fight with the Punjab farmers. “When the demands of the farmer unions are same, they must fight together like they did two years ago. The Khaps will extend full support to them. The arrested farmers be released and the use of force against farmers be stopped,” said Majra Khap spokesperson Samundar Singh.
CPI(M) State secretary Surender Singh in a press statement said the industrial units in Sonipat and Panipat were facing difficulty in transportation of the raw material and the finished products as all roads leading to Delhi were blocked by the police.