Haryana police detained numerous protesting farmers as they advanced towards Delhi on Tuesday, attempting to breach multi-layered barricades with tractors and hand weapons. Chaos ensued at the Shambhu border as police sought to prevent protestors from entering the national capital. Visuals from the scene depicted farmers fleeing towards adjacent farmland as tear gas and water cannons were deployed by law enforcement to disperse the crowd. Concrete slabs, iron nails, barricades, barbed wires, along with police and paramilitary personnel, were stationed at various border points.
Speaking on the situation, Sibash Kabiraj, IG of Ambala Range, stated, “We welcome the farmers from Punjab, but their travel on tractors poses problems. They can use buses, trains, or travel on foot. If they come on tractors, we will not allow it. Section 144 has also been imposed.”
Union Minister Arjun Munda emphasized the need for deliberation to address farmers’ concerns amid the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. “We are committed to farmers’ interests. Our focus is not on political maneuvering but on dialogue and resolution,” he stated. Munda is part of the ministerial team engaged in discussions with farmer leaders, alongside Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal, MoS Nityanand Rai, and Punjab Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal.
The protesting farmers have presented 12 demands to the central government, motivating their march to Delhi. Led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, they seek to secure better crop prices, enact laws guaranteeing minimum support prices, debt waivers, pensions for farmers and laborers, among other measures for farmer welfare. They also demand the scrapping of the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020, reintroduction of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, and justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. Additionally, they advocate for increased employment opportunities and compensation for families of farmers who died during previous protests.