Seven districts where services remain suspended are Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa of Haryana State in view of Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by more than 200 farmers’ unions on February 13.
Farmer organisations are holding protests to press the Centre for accepting several demands, including enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
The Home Affairs has ordered the suspension of mobile and internet services to ‘stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Twitter, etc. on mobile phones and SMS, for facilitation and mobilisation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities.’
What will be allowed?
. It is emphasized that this order is being issued after taking utmost care of public convenience by exempting individual SMS, mobile recharge, banking SMS, Voice calls, internet services provided by broadband and lease lines of corporate and domestic households, thus not affecting the commercial/financial interest of the State and basic domestic needs of individuals.
Other preparations:
Ahead of farmers’ proposed ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 13, Haryana Police has deployed 50 companies of central paramilitary forces to maintain law and order in the state with the authorities on Friday asserting that nobody will be allowed to disturb peace and harmony. “We are making adequate arrangements to maintain law and order,” said the officer.
Home Minister Anil Vij said the Haryana Police have made fool proof arrangements and nobody will be allowed to disturb peace in the state.
“We will ensure complete peace in our state and will not let it be disrupted in any way,” added Vij.
Besides making elaborate security arrangements, the Haryana Police will seal the state’s borders with Punjab to prevent the farmers from heading towards the national capital, officials said.
The farmers have planned to head to Delhi from the Ambala-Shambhu border, Khanauri-Jind and the Dabwali border.
The police have already stocked up concrete blocks, barbed wire, sandbags, barricades and other items at the Shambhu border in Ambala to stop the protesters from marching towards the national capital.
Why are farmers protesting?
Besides a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), the farmers are also demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
In 2020, a large number of farmers from Punjab and nearby areas of Ambala gathered at the Shambhu border and broke police barriers to march towards Delhi.
The farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, held a year-long protest on Delhi’s border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — against the three now-repealed farm laws.
(with agency inputs)
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