Farmers camping at Punjab-Haryana border burn effigies to protest against WTO

Chandigarh: Farmers camping on Punjab's border with Haryana to press the Union government for various demands burnt effigies and raised slogans demanding the agriculture sector be taken out of the WTO agreement.

Thousands of farmers have been staying put at Khanauri and Shambhu, about 200 kilometres from Delhi, along with their tractor-trolleys and trucks after their march to the national capital over their demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, was stopped by security forces.

The 'Delhi Chalo' march is being spearheaded by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM).

The protests were held as trade ministers of 164 WTO member countries gathered in Abu Dhabi for the 13th ministerial conference (MC13). The highest decision-making body started the four-day meet on February 26 in the UAE.

At the protest, farmer leaders alleged that the WTO's objective was to end farm subsidies. If India followed the policies of the WTO on the agricultural front, it would be "suicidal", they said.

On Sunday, farmers organised a seminar on the WTO issue.

Meanwhile, KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher again demanded that the Punjab government order the registration of an FIR against those responsible for the death of protester Shubhkaran Singh.

Shubhkaran (21), a native of Bathinda, was killed in the clash in Khanauri last Wednesday when some protesters tried to head towards the barricades erected by security personnel. The post-mortem has not been conducted yet and the body has been kept in the mortuary of Rajindra Hospital in Patiala since the farmers were adamant on registration of an FIR.

The farmers' march to Delhi was put on hold by farmer leaders for two days after Shubhkaran was killed and around 12 police personnel were injured in the clashes. Later, the farmer leaders said the protesters will continue to camp at Khanauri and Shambhu till February 29 when the next course of action will be decided.