Chandigarh: The 'Delhi Chalo' march has been put on hold till February 29 and farmers have given an ultimatum to the Union government to fulfill their demands within this period. Farmers said that a mahapanchayat will be organised in Delhi on March 14 if the government fails to provide a solution.
Farmers have decided to stay at the protest sites of Shambhu and Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border till February 29.
Responding to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha's call, farmers took out a tractor march across the state today. Farmers hit the highways with their tractors and hundreds of tractors were seen parked along the Dadri-Delhi road in Dadri and Sonipat throughout the day. Farmers said they will continue their protest till late this afternoon.
Leaders of khaps and farmer organisations are participating in the march under the leadership of Phogat Khap chief Balwant Numberdar in Dadri.
The Jind-Rohtak highway was sealed at Pauli, the last village of the district, for the last 13 days following the 'Delhi Chalo' march. Due to this, commuters were facing a lot of problems. Now that the march has been put on hold till February 29, normalcy is being restored here.
The Pauli area of the border was opened on Sunday allowing one-way traffic and direct movement of vehicles to Rohtak. The vehicular traffic at the checkpoints is being constantly monitored by police.
A mega panchayat has been organised by 73 villages and 36 khaps in Samain village of Fatehabad today. After which, the khaps decided that the farmers of Haryana will extend their support and help to their Punjab counterparts. On March 2, a mahapanchayat of the khaps will be organised at the historical platform of Uchana.
National spokesperson of khaps, Subai Singh Samain said that the khap panchayat was organised in Thasman village. "The farmers of Punjab cannot win this movement without the help of the farmers of Haryana. Everyone should fight this movement together. A farmer, who fails to obey the orders of the organisation will be shown the way out. The mahapanchayat in Uchana on March 2 will take a major decision on farmers' movement," Samain said.
Meanwhile, many serving and retired officers of the Indian Army extended their support to the protesting farmers and criticised the Narendra Modi government's policies.
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