Don't want confrontation...: With 'Delhi Chalo' march suspended, farmers to hold talks with Centre tomorrow

New Delhi, India

Protesting farmers in India who have suspended their "Delhi Chalo" (Let's go to Delhi) march for now, said on Friday (Dec 6) that they would be holding talks with the central government on Saturday. 

Addressing a press conference at the Shambu border, farmer leader Sarwan Sindh Pandher said, "Now 'Jattha' (group) of 101 farmers will march towards Delhi on December 8 at noon. Tomorrow's day has been kept for talks with the central government."

Also read | 'Delhi Chalo' protest: Farmers halt march after police use tear gas shells, injuring many protesters

"They have said that they are ready for talks, so we will wait till tomorrow. We want talks to happen," he said. 

'Don't want confrontation, we will remain peaceful'

Pandher told reporters that the farmers' groups did not want confrontation with the central government, adding, "We will remain peaceful."

The current protests are being led by the Bharatiya Kisan Parishad (BKP) in collaboration with other farmer organisations. The protesting farmers seek compensation and benefits linked to agricultural reforms, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). 

Earlier on Friday, the farmers (from the state of Punjab) suspended their (Delhi Chalo) march to the national capital as the police started using tear gas shells to control and scatter them from crossing the border. 

Visuals from the Shambu border showed police barricades where the protesting farmers were stopped. Security has been beefed up at the border.

Speaking to the news agency ANI, a police official said, "The farmers do not have any permission to enter Haryana. The Ambala administration has imposed Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita."

"Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher who was also stopped at the border said that either they (farmers) should be allowed to go to Delhi peacefully or their demands should be talked about," the police official added.

'Why is govt behaving with us like an enemy country?'

During the press conference at the Shambu border, farmer leader Pandher said, "Why is the government behaving with us like an enemy country? We are citizens of this country and have made a lot of sacrifices for the nation."

"The entire world saw how the fifth largest economy of the globe committed atrocities and injured our (farmer) leaders. This, I want to repeat, is the moral victory of the farmers' protest, and PM Modi doesn't have an argument on why we are being stopped from moving ahead peacefully," he added. 

(With inputs from agencies)