New Delhi: Thousands of farmers from different states of India are marching towards Delhi to press for their demands, including a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, pension, debt waiver and withdrawal of criminal cases against the protesters. The farmers’ march, which began on February 13, 2024, has met with stiff resistance from the police and security forces at various borders of the capital, leading to violent clashes and traffic disruptions.
At the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana, farmers and police engaged in a fierce battle on Tuesday morning, as the police tried to stop the protesters from entering Haryana by using tear gas, water cannons, and batons. The farmers, however, managed to break through the barricades and continued their march towards Delhi. According to the farmer leaders, at least 60 protesters were injured in the police action.
The Haryana government has imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which prohibits the assembly of more than four people, in several districts to prevent the farmers from reaching Delhi. The police have also blocked the national highways and state highways connecting Delhi with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, causing inconvenience to commuters and transporters.
The Delhi Police have also sealed all the borders of the capital and deployed heavy security personnel, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), to prevent the farmers’ entry. The police have erected multiple layers of barricades, concrete slabs, barbed wires, and iron nails on the roads leading to the borders. The service roads on both sides of Ghazipur, Singhu, Tikri, and other borders were completely closed by late Sunday night. Only one lane has been kept open for traffic at some borders.
The Delhi Traffic Police have issued an advisory for the public to avoid traveling through the borders where the farmers are protesting and to take alternative routes. The traffic police have also suggested diversions for the vehicles going to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh from Delhi and vice versa. The traffic police have warned that the traffic situation may worsen during peak hours and requested the people to plan their journey accordingly.
The farmers’ protest has also affected the business and trade activities in Delhi, as the number of customers in the markets has dropped by 75% and more than 15,000 commercial vehicles have been stranded on the way from Delhi. The All India Motor and Goods Transport Association, the leading organization of transporters, has issued an advisory to its members to take precautions in operating trucks in Delhi-NCR and not to take new bookings until the situation improves.
The farmers’ protest is seen as one of the biggest challenges for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which had to repeal the controversial farm laws in 2021 after a year-long agitation by the farmers. The farmers, however, are not satisfied with the government’s response and have vowed to continue their protest until their demands are met. The government has formed a committee to discuss the issue of MSP with the farmers, but the talks have not yielded any results.
