The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a key group in the ongoing farmers’ protests, has scheduled a crucial meeting to plot further actions. Tensions rose after clashes at the Punjab-Haryana border. A march titled ‘Dilli Chalo’ was halted temporarily when a 21-year-old protester named Subhkaran Singh allegedly died, and injuries were reported among 12 police officers. The police, however, denied any fatalities during the unrest at Khanauri. The protests were reignited after an unsuccessful negotiation over the legal guarantee of minimum support prices (MSP) for crops. Police responded with tear gas and, as claimed by farmers, rubber bullets to prevent protesters from advancing towards Delhi.
Amidst the chaos, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda made a plea for peace and called for more discussions, hoping for a favorable resolution. Farmers, on guard with gas masks and using drones, continued to express their grievances while facing a strong response from the Haryana Police. Sarwan Singh Pandher, a farmer leader, indicated that they would deliberate on their forthcoming strategy soon.
The severity of the clashes was illustrated by accounts of police sustaining injuries, protestors attacking with stones and setting fire to stubble laced with chilli powder, causing breathing issues and irritation among the officers. In a separate but related incident, a farmer from Uttar Pradesh attempted self-immolation over a loan dispute, which was a stark reminder of the broader distress within the agricultural community. The farmer, Brijpal, was treated for minor injuries.
As mobilization in support of the protests grew across western Uttar Pradesh, BKU leader Naresh Tikait called for a tractor march to stand against the harsh treatment of farmers from Haryana and Punjab. The SKM declared the death of Subhkaran Singh as an outcome of ‘brutal police repression’, holding the government accountable for the crisis due to unmet promises.
To oppose the reported death of a farmer, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) announced a road blockade plan, urging peaceful demonstrations. Gurnam Singh Charuni, the union head, canceled the earlier decision to burn effigies in light of the tense climate, advocating a nonviolent approach to protest. BKU spokesperson Rakesh Bains and state president Rattan Mann emphasized on the unjustness of the farmer’s death and the need to safeguard farmers’ rights against corporate interests. As the protest entered its ninth day, central and state forces maintained a strong presence at the Shambhu barrier, ready to counter any renewed attempts by farmer unions to dismantle the barricades.