Mahapanchayat seeks procurement of sunflower seeds on MSP: Farmers block Delhi-Chandigarh highway at Kurukshetra, traffic diverted

Farmers blocked traffic on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway (National Highway 44) on Monday after holding a mahapanchayat at Pipli grain market in Kurukshetra district to press for minimum support price (MSP) for sunflower seeds.

After repeated meetings with the district administration failed to yield results, farmer leaders gave a call to block the NH 44. Thousands of farmers on their tractor-trailers reached the highway and blocked the traffic movement by parking their vehicles.

Farmer leaders, including Rakesh Tikait and Balbir Singh Rajewal, announced from the stage that they will support whatever decision is taken by the local farmers.

The MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao Mahapanchayat, called by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) faction, was held near NH-44 and participants gathered on the highway in the afternoon, forcing Haryana Police to divert traffic from other routes.

In view of the protests and to avoid hassle to commuters, alternative routes have been marked at Ambala and Karnal on this major highway connecting Delhi with the north Indian states, till further orders.

Officials said that traffic coming from Chandigarh or Amritsar has been diverted at Sadhopur to NH-152 (Chandigarh-Hisar) and commuters can travel via Ismailabad, Karnal and beyond via NH-44 or can turn from Ambala Cantt bus stand to travel via Mahesh Nagar, Saha, Radaur, Ladwa, Karnal and beyond via NH-44.

While for the traffic from Delhi, there are three alternative routes earmarked by the authorities.

Commuters can turn to Indri Road from Karnal on NH-44 and travel via Ladwa, Babain, Shahbad and take NH-44 for their further destination or turn right from Ladwa Chowk to travel via Radaur and take NH-344 (Saharanpur-Panchkula) or travel till Nilokheri in Karnal and take Dhand road to reach Kaul and commute via NH-152D for Ambala and beyond.

There are diversions for local traffic in Kurukshetra, where it has been advised to divert at Sector 2/3 to travel via Brahmasarovar, Kurukshetra University Gate No. 3 and take NH-152 D for their destination.

Similarly, commuters travelling from Chandigarh to Delhi have to avoid Aman Hotel flyover and turn left below the flyover for Saha cut and travel via Dosarka, Adhoya, Babain, Ladwa, Indri and Karnal to take NH-44 for Delhi.

Meanwhile, as the farmers blocked the highway demanding MSP on sunflower crop, congestion was seen at several points where vehicles were stuck, and pedestrians were seen walking for kilometres amid scorching heat.

Long queues of trucks and other vehicles were seen near Ambala Cantt bus stand as the vehicles took alternate routes and several of them were also seen arguing with the cops on duty.

Ritesh, who was travelling from Chandigarh to Sonepat, asked why always commuters have to bear the brunt due to such protests.

Tejveer Singh, spokesperson of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) said, “Due to anti-farmers policies of this government, we are always forced to protest for our rights. We are aware that commuters are facing inconvenience, but we are left with no option. We are providing special passage to ambulances at the protest site. This is a do-or-die protest demanding a law on MSP and unconditional release of farmer leaders arrested from Shahbad.”

Kurukshetra deputy commissioner Shantanu Sharma said that the administration had called farmer leaders for talks, but they were adamant about their demands and later blocked the highway. “We are taking up their issues with the higher authorities so that traffic movement can be restored,” he said.

Even as the talks with the Kurukshetra administration are going on, at 8pm the farmer leaders gave two-hour time to the government to accept their demands or else they will continue with the agitation indefinitely.

Farmer leader Suresh Koth said that the farmers have decided that if the government will not accept their demands now, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha will take the next call and agitations for the MSP will be launched in the entire country. Khap leaders and members of the farmer unions have been told to remain present at the protest site until the next decision is taken.

At the mahapanchayat, farmer leader Karam Singh Mathana said the local administration had assured them of a meeting with chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to discuss their demands. “But now they say the chief minister has left Karnal. Because of this, the local committee which had organised the mahapanchayat decided to block NH-44 till our demands are met,” Mathana said.

The chief minister was at Karnal to attend a Jan Samvaad, his outreach programme, on Monday morning.

On Saturday, he had released ₹29.13 crore as interim compensation to 8,528 farmers for sunflowers grown on 36,414 acres. The farmers are demanding that the state government procure sunflowers at an MSP of ₹6,400 per quintal. Under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana -- price difference payment scheme -- the state government is giving ₹1,000 per quintal as interim support for sunflower crop sold below the MSP.

On June 6, farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni blocked NH-44 near Shahbad, demanding that the government procure sunflower seeds at minimum support price. Police had used water cannons and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the protesters. Later, nine BKU (Charuni) leaders, including its president, were arrested on various charges, including rioting and unlawful assembly.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, who attended the mahapanchayat on Monday, said the government should procure sunflower seeds on MSP and the farmer leaders arrested in Shahbad should be released.

Punia lends support to farmers

Wrestler Bajrang Punia also reached Pipli to attend the Kisan Mahapanchayat.

“I have come here to lend my support to the farmers. We are just demanding a minimum price for our crops, and I request the government to ensure that the farmers get MSP of their produce. Being the son of a farmer, I can feel their pain and cannot see them sitting on roads,” he said while addressing the gathering.

“We do not know how to address the gathering as we were trained to win medals but now, we have to get united to raise our voice strongly,” he added.

In his brief address, Punia also raised the issue of violence in Lakhimpur Kheri and said the government did not take action against Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni.

“The government did not take action against Teni and now we have to protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh,” he added.