Sangrur, Oct. 29 -- Farmers in Qila Bharian village of Sangrur gheraoed police when they arrived here to stop stubble burning amid strict guidelines by the Supreme Court and the Punjab government. A similar scene was witnessed in Barnala as well, where farmers from Thuliwal village confronted a team that had arrived to raise awareness about the farm fires. The protests at both venues were led by activists from Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) Ekta Azad and BKU (Ekta Ugrahan). In Qila Bharian village, Jagsir Singh, a farmer, said that they surrounded the police vehicle when cops were trying to stop farm fires. "The farmers are already under stress as the incessant rain, floods have affected the yield. Now they (the government) are doubling our woes by registering FIRs against us. We gheraoed the cops demanding no action against the farmers," he said. The farmer said they have approached the administration as well and have asked for Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines. "Burning stubble is the compulsion for the farmers. We spoke to the administration that a baler and CRM machines should be provided to us, or we'll have no option but to burn the straw," Baljit Kaur, a leader from the BKU Ekta Azad, added. She said that the administration has been told that the police action must stop and that farmers be provided with machines for ex-situ crop residue management. Longowal station house officer Balwant Singh stated that the team was at the village to conduct an awareness campaign as ordered. "We were on the field to make people aware of the ill effects of stubble burning," he said. In Barnala, the farm leaders said that the government is pressuring farmers not to burn stubble without providing alternatives. Thuliwal station house officer Balwinder Singh confirmed the confrontation....