Protesting farmers announced new measures on Sunday to ramp up pressure on the Centre after their attempts to enter the national capital were foiled three times by the police, citing lack of “permission” from Central authorities in Delhi. 

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher urged the people of Punjab to join their “rail roko” agitation on December 18.

“I want to appeal to the people of Punjab to participate in the ‘Rail Roko’ agitating on December 18. We request all the people of all the 13,000 villages in Punjab who live near railway tracks to block their nearest railway crossings and railway stations from 12 to 3 pm,” news agency ANI reported Pandher as saying.

A “jatha” (group) of 101 farmers attempted to enter Delhi by foot on December 6, December 8 and again on December 14, but were not allowed to proceed by security personnel from Haryana. 

Police fired tear gas shells at farmers who attempted to cross into Delhi, injuring almost 17 people in the attempt.

SKM urged to join

Pandher also wrote to Rakesh Tikait-led Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which spearheaded a year-long agitation against the now repealed three farm laws, to join farmers protesting at Punjab-Haryana border points.

“We have extended our hands to those brothers who could not participate in the Delhi andolan-2 (Delhi Chalo march). We asked them to forget whatever differences (the unions have) in the interests of farmers and labourers. We have written a letter to our brothers. We expect a positive message from them (SKM),” Pandher said.

The SKM was not part of the “Delhi Chalo” march call. In his letter, the farmer leader noted that attempts to forge unity before the current cycle of protest has been unsuccessful because of various reasons.

In 2020, a large number of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, held a year-long protest on Delhi’s border points -Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur until the Centre repealed the three controversial laws ahead of assembly election in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

(With agency inputs)