Sikar Standoff: Rajasthan farmers stopped from marching towards collector's office, face off with police

On Monday, farmers in Rajasthan faced off with the police in Sikar, News18 reported. Sikar farmers called for a blockade and ‘gherao’ of district collectorate on Monday — day 10 of their protest — after talks with the state government failed. According to the report, the farmers began marching towards the district collectors at noon, but were met with barricades put up by the Rajasthan Police. The report noted that the government also suspended internet services and imposed Section 144 in the district. What was interesting was the presence of local DJs, who joined the protest on Saturday. According to the News18 report, on Saturday, several SUVs, loaded with a high-end sound system, arrived for the protest. [caption id=“attachment_4033905” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] The farmers have been demanding the implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations and crop loan waiver. Rajasthan’s ‘Devsthan’ minister Rajkumar Rinwa spoke to the farmers but his efforts did not bear any fruit, News18 reported. “We were given an assurance letter by the government that it wants to resolve the issues but nothing concrete came out in the meeting. We stand firm on our demands and will block roads,” former MLA and leader of the Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha, Amra Ram, told reporters. Rinwa earlier assured farmers that the government was taking their demands seriously and that a committee would be constituted to look into the issues. Meanwhile, NPP MLA Kirori Lal Meena and independent MLA Hanuman Beniwal reached Sikar on Monday to lend their support to the farmers’ protest. Talking to the reporters, Meena said that demands of the farmers were reasonable. The state government is neglecting farmers, he alleged. Ample security arrangements were made in Sikar and nearby areas to maintain law and order, the police said. With inputs from PTI