In the nexus between Chandigarh and New Delhi, agrarians hailing from Punjab engaged in skirmishes with Haryana Police at two inter-state junctures on Tuesday. They confronted tear gas and water cannons, endeavoring to breach barricades impeding their procession towards the national capital. Twenty-four law enforcement officers, including a deputy superintendent of police, sustained injuries as demonstrators pelted them with stones, as per official reports.
Leaders among the farming community alleged that the police deployed rubber bullets, resulting in over 60 protesters sustaining injuries during the altercation at Shambhu border, proximate to Haryana’s Ambala city. Similar confrontations transpired at the border in Jind district, where police utilized tear gas and water cannons. The clash at Data Singhwala-Khanauri border saw nine law enforcement officers injured, according to police sources.
After a prolonged standoff with the police, farmer leaders decided to temporarily halt the protest for the day, with plans to recommence the march from Shambhu on Wednesday. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha lead the ‘Delhi Chalo’ movement, aiming to exert pressure on the Central government for their demands, encompassing a law enforcing minimum support prices for crops and advocating for loan waivers.
In an interview with PTI, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda emphasized that hastily introducing legislation guaranteeing MSP without comprehensive consultations with stakeholders would be imprudent. Munda urged farmer groups to engage in structured discussions with the government on the matter. Notwithstanding a five-hour meeting held in Chandigarh on Monday night between Munda, Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal, and farmer representatives, no conclusive agreement was reached.
On Tuesday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued notices to the Centre, Haryana, and Punjab based on two petitions. One petition sought court directives to halt all “obstructive” actions by the state governments and the Centre, while the other requested measures to ensure protesters do not block highways.
Commencing around 10 am from Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib, the march covered approximately 40 km from the Haryana border. Farmers, including women, packed themselves into tractor-trolleys, with an excavator included in one convoy, intended for breaking barricades.
In BJP-led Haryana, police barriers dot the highway to Delhi, while the Delhi Police have fortified major entry points into the capital with layers of barriers, including barbed wire, concrete slabs, and road-puncturing strips. This fortified approach in Delhi recalled the farmers’ agitation of 2021, where main roads leading into the city were blockaded for months.
Despite the protesters being distant from the city, traffic in the Delhi-NCR region crawled due to barricades regulating access to key roads. This was in addition to the barriers at Singhu and Tikri borders. On Tuesday, there was no notable movement from Haryana farmers joining the march.
Protesters from Punjab alleged intimidation by the Haryana government towards their counterparts. At the Shambhu border, tear gas was deployed when some protesters attempted to dislodge a metal barricade on the Ghaggar river bridge. Tractors were used in an attempt to shift or break cement barriers.
Some protesters dispersed into the fields adjoining the highway, seemingly to circumvent the roadblock. Tear gas enveloped the area, with protesters seen covering canisters with jute bags to contain the tear smoke. A drone was observed releasing shells over protesters at Shambhu. A spokesperson for Haryana Police justified the use of tear gas, citing stones being thrown at law enforcement.
“No disruptions will be tolerated. Stringent action will be taken against those causing disturbances,” warned the spokesperson. Haryana authorities fortified the state’s borders with Punjab at various locations, deploying riot control vehicles, including water cannons. Drones were employed for surveillance, and restrictions under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code were imposed in 15 districts, with mobile internet services limited in several areas.
Leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sarwan Singh Pandher, criticized the extensive barricading on the route to Delhi, likening the situation to an international border rather than a boundary between Punjab and Haryana. Pandher accused the Manohar Lal Khattar government of transforming Haryana into a “Kashmir Valley.”
In Haryana, 64 paramilitary companies and 50 state police units were deployed across districts. Pandher emphasized the peaceful nature of their march, expressing solidarity with law enforcement personnel. Following a second round of talks with the Centre, Pandher conveyed skepticism about the government’s commitment to their demands, a sentiment echoed by Union Agriculture Minister Munda, who cited partial agreement and ongoing discussions.