Farmers from Punjab villages initiated their journey towards Delhi from Fatehgarh Sahib via the Sham bhu border after an inconclusive meeting with two Union ministers regarding their demands, notably the implementation of a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. Another contingent is heading towards the capital from Mehal Kalan in Sangrur, crossing the Khanauri border. Over 200 unions are participating in the march, with tractor-trolleys loaded with essential supplies such as dry rations, water-proof sheets, and mattresses.
The route to Delhi encompasses various borders including Ambala-Shambhu, Khanauri-Jind, and Dabwali. In response, authorities in Haryana have fortified the state’s borders with Punjab, employing measures like concrete blocks, iron nails, and barbed wire to deter the march. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher criticized the heavy barricading, likening the state borders to “international borders” and accusing the Haryana government of harassing farmers.
The Haryana government has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in 15 districts, restricting assemblies of five or more people and banning demonstrations or marches with tractor trolleys. Meanwhile, in Delhi, Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora has issued stringent directives for the next 30 days to maintain law and order. On the preceding day, tractor trolleys from various parts of Punjab had commenced their journey to join the protest, with gatherings observed at Mehlan Kalan Chowk in Sangrur district, some equipped with an excavator purportedly intended to breach barricades.
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