Farmers from Punjab initiated their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on Tuesday morning to emphasize their demands, following an inconclusive meeting with two Union ministers. The demands include a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
The farmers intend to travel to Delhi from the Ambala-Shambhu, Khanauri-Jind, and Dabwali borders. Several farmers, accompanied by their tractor trolleys, began the march around 10 am from Fatehgarh Sahib, moving towards Delhi via the Shambhu border. Another group is en route to the national capital from Mehal Kalan in Sangrur through the Khanauri border.
Authorities in Haryana have fortified the state’s borders with Punjab at numerous points in Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, and Sirsa using concrete blocks, iron nails, and barbed wire to deter the planned march. Riot control vehicles, including water cannons, have been deployed at various points along the Punjab and Haryana borders.
The Haryana government has imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in 15 districts, prohibiting gatherings of five or more people and banning demonstrations or marches with tractor trolleys.
Security in Delhi has been heightened with multi-layer barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails, and container walls at border points.
Tractor trolleys from different parts of Punjab set out on Monday to join the protest march. These trolleys, adorned with farm union flags, carried essential items such as dry ration, mattresses, and utensils. An excavator was also part of the convoy, with a farmer in Amritsar stating it would be used to breach barricades.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announced that farmers would head to Delhi on Tuesday to press the Centre to accept their demands, including MSP guarantee.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, expressed reluctance towards forming a new committee concerning their demands, stating it would sideline the issue.
Following a second round of talks lasting over five hours on Monday, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda expressed hope for further dialogue, while farm leaders voiced skepticism about the government’s commitment to addressing their demands.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, leader of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), mentioned the government’s proposal for a committee on MSP guarantee, debt waiver, and Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations.
In addition to MSP guarantee, farmers are demanding pensions, debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, justice for Lakhimpur Kheri violence victims, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act – 2013, withdrawal from the World Trade Organization, and compensation for deceased farmers’ families.
In Haryana, 64 paramilitary companies and 50 police companies have been deployed across various districts, equipped with anti-riot gear. Drones and CCTV cameras are being used for surveillance. The Haryana Police assured readiness to handle any disturbances.
A traffic advisory suggests alternative routes for commuters traveling between Chandigarh and Delhi due to the ongoing protests.