“Farmers Encountering Tightened Security Measures as Delhi Chalo March Approaches”

The preparation for the “Delhi Chalo” march by farmers on February 13 is marked by fortified security measures reminiscent of those seen three years ago when another farmers’ march took place in Delhi.

During the yearlong struggle of 2020-21, primarily led by farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh at Delhi’s border points of Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur, the government eventually repealed three contentious farm laws.

The upcoming march, organized by approximately 200 farmer unions, focuses on the government’s failure to fulfill one of the promises made during the previous agitation: enacting a law to guarantee minimum support prices (MSPs) for various crops.

A significant number of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh are expected to march towards Delhi on Tuesday.

In BJP-ruled Haryana, the border with Punjab, through which farmers can access Delhi, has been sealed at Shambhu near Ambala with concrete blocks, multiple layers of nails on roads, sandbags, and barbed wire. Additionally, anti-riot vehicles are deployed, and mobile services have been suspended in several districts.

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a leader from the Samkyukta Kisan Morcha, criticized Haryana’s actions, accusing the state of instilling fear and questioning its compatibility with democracy.

Uttar Pradesh, also ruled by the BJP, has similarly barricaded its borders with Delhi at various points and deployed police and paramilitary forces in riot gear.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shared a video highlighting the barricades and nails placed on roads near Delhi’s borders, criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for hindering farmers’ movement.

The Delhi police have imposed Section 144 of the CrPC (prohibitory orders) in the capital’s Northeast district, anticipating gatherings or marches on February 13.

Authorities are closely coordinating with neighboring states to fortify interstate borders and maintain multi-layer security checkpoints, with thorough vehicle inspections upon entry into the capital.

In Haryana, measures include the installation of iron sheets along highways to prevent disruption of police barricades, deployment of water cannons and riot-control vehicles, and fortification of borders with Punjab.

Furthermore, mobile internet and bulk SMS services have been suspended in seven Haryana districts from February 11 to 13.

Amid these preparations, farmer leaders express readiness for dialogue with the government while condemning what they perceive as an attempt to instigate fear and suppress their movement.

The farmers’ demands extend beyond MSPs to include pensions for themselves and farm laborers, farm debt waivers, withdrawal of police cases against previous agitators, and justice for the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

This echoes the scene from February 2021 when the Delhi police similarly employed roadblocks and spiked barriers at the Singhu border to restrict movement and supplies to the protesting farmers.