Farmers March Towards Delhi for Mahapanchayat; Cement Barricades at Shambhu Border, Clashes Reported at Ghaziabad Border
Farmers Stopped at Delhi Borders During March for Mahapanchayat Against India–US Trade Deal
Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana attempted to march towards Delhi on Friday to participate in a Kisan Mahapanchayat protesting the proposed India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). However, they were stopped at multiple entry points into the national capital, with security forces setting up barricades at key border crossings.
Shambhu Border Sealed Again
Following the decision to stop the protesters, authorities reinstalled barricades at the Shambhu border, once again turning it into the focal point of the farmers’ agitation. Haryana Police prevented hundreds of farmers travelling from Punjab from entering Delhi to attend the Mahapanchayat.
At the Ghaziabad border, leaders and members of several farmer organisations were also stopped. A brief scuffle broke out between protesters and police as demonstrators attempted to move forward.
Memories of Earlier Farmers’ Protests Revived
The heavy barricading at the Punjab-Haryana border has revived memories of the ‘Delhi Chalo 2’ protest in February 2024, when authorities fortified border crossings with concrete blocks, iron spikes, and multi-layer barricades to prevent farmers from entering Delhi.
At that time, farmers remained camped at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders for more than a year, demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
After being stopped again, the protesters turned the Shambhu border into a demonstration site and accused both the Haryana and Punjab governments of suppressing their democratic right to assemble peacefully in Delhi.
Tight Security Along Haryana Border
Tejvir Singh, a leader of BKU Shaheed Bhagat Singh, alleged that Haryana Police had erected barricades inside Punjab’s territory. He also claimed that the Punjab government had remained a silent spectator instead of opposing the move.
While farmers travelling from Punjab were prevented from proceeding, groups from Ambala, Kurukshetra, and other parts of Haryana continued their journey towards Delhi.
Mahapanchayat Held Under ‘Desh Bachao Morcha’
The Mahapanchayat was convened under the banner of the Desh Bachao Morcha, with farmer organisations from Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh demanding that the Centre scrap the proposed India–US trade agreement.
According to Sarwan Singh Pandher, leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), contingents from KMSC, the Punjab chapter of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, Azad Kisan Morcha, and BKU Ekta Sangharsh had set out from different parts of Punjab but were stopped by security forces at the Shambhu border before they could reach Delhi.