Kurukshetra, February 23 A three-day sit-in, organized by 10 farmer unions over various issues, including a demand to scrap the India-US trade deal, began in Kurukshetra on Monday amid tight security.
Thousands of farmers gathered at Tau Devi Lal Park in the morning, and later marched on foot towards the chief minister's office here, but were stopped near Jindal Chowk by police who had set up barricades.
The protesters then sat on the road and raised slogans against the government, with a large number of police deployed at the site. Farmer leaders said the sit-in would continue for three days.
Farmer leader Mandeep Singh Sirsa said that one of the key demands was the scrapping of the US-India trade deal. Other demands include waiving electricity bills for farmers and providing compensation for crop damage, he said.
The farmer unions said they were open to talks if any government official approached them at the protest site, otherwise they would devise a strategy to intensify the agitation.
Amarjeet Singh Mohri, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), said the protest would remain peaceful and democratic.
He said farmers had brought food and essential supplies and would continue the sit-in until concrete assurances were given on their demands.
Ashok Balara, a farmer leader from Rohtak, said that no representative from the chief minister's office had contacted them for talks so far.
Farmer leader Sirsa warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government did not initiate dialogue with them.
Police have made elaborate security arrangements in and around the protest site. Traffic movement was affected in parts of the city due to barricading and heavy police deployment.