Patiala (Gurpreet Singh): A 55-member group of farmers affiliated with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) is preparing to begin a foot march from the Khanauri border towards Delhi, with soil from the protest site being carried as a symbol of remembrance and resistance.
The march is scheduled to start from Gurudwara Datawala on Sunday. Farmers have said they intend to keep the programme peaceful while using the journey to highlight pending agricultural demands and oppose the recently signed trade agreement with the United States.
March to reach Delhi by August 29
The farmers are planning to cover the route in stages, with regular breaks along the way. While one farmer will undertake the journey largely on foot, the rest of the group will accompany him and manage the required belongings and arrangements.
The group has set August 29 as its target date for reaching Delhi. A Kisan Panchayat is proposed at Jantar Mantar following their arrival, after which the farmers intend to approach the Centre with a memorandum containing their demands.
Dallewal says farmers want no confrontation
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has maintained that the proposed march is not intended to create a law-and-order situation.
Dallewal said reports of increased police deployment around the Khanauri border had reached the farmer leadership, but insisted that the participants would not provoke authorities. He pointed out that the group is small and will not be travelling with a convoy of tractor-trolleys.
He further argued that preventing farmers from travelling peacefully on foot would send a different message about the government’s approach to the ongoing farmers’ issues.
Soil from Khanauri to serve as a tribute
The decision to carry soil from Khanauri gives the march an emotional dimension. The location is associated with the death of farmer Shubhkaran Singh during the earlier farmers’ agitation.
Farmer leaders said the soil will be taken to Delhi as a tribute to Singh and as a reminder of the events that took place during the protest movement.
Farmers raise concerns over US trade agreement
The proposed Delhi programme will also focus on the trade agreement with the United States. Farmer organisations have expressed apprehension that the deal could affect the agricultural sector and have demanded greater clarity from the Centre on its possible consequences for farmers.
Dallewal has argued that the agreement could have wider economic implications and said farmers want their concerns to be heard before its impact is felt on the ground.
With a small contingent, a largely foot-based journey and soil from Khanauri as its central symbol, the farmers’ march is expected to put their demands back in the national spotlight while testing how authorities respond to their proposed peaceful movement.
