Farmers, who are demanding guaranteed prices for their crops, claim to have stocked up on supplies for months.
Delhi’s borders are now heavily fortified with multiple layers of barricades and barbed wire to prevent their entry.
Despite this, protesters have issued warnings that they are prepared to use heavy machinery to break through.
Recent footage from the Shambhu border, between Punjab and Haryana, depicted thousands of farmers gearing up to breach barriers using bulldozers and earthmovers.
Media reported that police deployed tear gas against the protesters as they tried to advance towards the border. The farmers appeared more equipped than before, donning masks, gloves, and protective suits to shield themselves from the tear gas.
To counter police surveillance drones, many protesters flew kites to disrupt their operations.
Amidst the chaos, farm leaders repeatedly called for unity and urged security forces not to attack their fellow protesters.
Agriculture Minister Arjun Munde has extended an invitation for a fifth round of talks, emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace. However, farmers have yet to respond to this invitation.
Situated approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the capital, the farmers have been stationed at the Shambhu border since last week when they first embarked on their march. Last week, authorities clashed with the protesters, using tear gas and plastic bullets in an attempt to halt their progress.
The farmers’ apprehension stems from the events of 2020 when thousands of them camped at Delhi’s borders for months, enduring extreme weather conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic, to protest against controversial agricultural reforms. The year-long protest resulted in dozens of deaths and only concluded after the government agreed to repeal the laws.
These latest protests come just months before the general elections, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third term in power. Farmers represent a significant voting bloc in India, and analysts suggest the government will tread carefully to avoid angering or alienating them.
Farmers’ leaders maintain that their march is peaceful and have implored the government to allow them entry into the capital.
“We have done our utmost from our end. We attended meetings and discussed every issue. Now, the decision lies with the government. We will remain peaceful, but we should be permitted to dismantle these barriers and march towards Delhi,” remarked farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher to reporters.
Thus far, the government has conducted four rounds of meetings with farmers’ unions. However, protesters argue that the government failed to uphold promises made during the 2020-2021 protests and have additional demands, including pensions and debt waivers.
On Monday, farmers’ leaders rejected a proposal to purchase certain crops at guaranteed prices on a five-year contract, deeming the offer “not in their interest.”
The government had suggested procuring pulses, maize, and cotton at assured floor prices—commonly known as Minimum Support Price or MSP—through cooperatives over five years. Nevertheless, farmers insist on a “legal guarantee for MSP on all 23 crops.”
Meanwhile, authorities in Haryana have urged their counterparts in Punjab to keep women, children, and journalists at least 1 kilometer away from the borders for safety reasons. They have also instructed the Punjab police to seize bulldozers and other heavy machinery from the protest sites.
In Delhi, security measures have been heightened, and large gatherings have been prohibited for a month.
