Farmers stopped with tear gas at Shambhu border on their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march

A jatha of 101 farmers began their foot march to Delhi from their protest site at Shambhu border on Friday, 6 December, around 1:00 p.m.; but they were stopped a few metres away by multilayered barricades.

Haryana police asked the farmers not to proceed further and cited a prohibitory order clamped down on the area under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

The Ambala district administration has banned any unlawful assembly of five or more persons in the district.

The farmers are marching to force the Centre to agree to a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

A few farmers, holding farmers' unions' flags, pushed the iron mesh put up by the security personnel down the bridge constructed over the Ghaggar River.

The Haryana government has suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS service in 11 villages of Ambala district till 9 December as well.

The ban was enforced in Dangdehri, Lohgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Lhars, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar, Saddopur, Sultanpur, and Kakru villages of Ambala on Friday, from 12 noon.

The farmers, gathered under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been demanding that the Centre give them a legal guarantee of MSP.

They have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since 13 February after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

The jatha began its march at 1 p.m., but after covering a few metres, they were forced to stop near a multi-layered barricade erected by the Haryana government.

Chanting 'Satnam Waheguru' and carrying farmers' union flags as well as their daily essentials, the jatha crossed the initial layer of barricades easily, but could not proceed further.

A few farmers pushed the iron mesh and barbed wire down the road. Others even managed to uproot the iron nails from the road on National Highway 44.

Security personnel, who were standing behind the cemented barricades with iron grilles set up for their protection, were seen asking farmers not to move ahead as they did not have permission.

One of the protesters climbed up on the tin roof where the security forces had been stationed. He was forced to get down.

Tear gas has reportedly been deployed. Water cannon vehicles have also been deployed at the Shambhu border point.

Earlier, the district authorities in Ambala ordered the closure of all government and private schools.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher termed the 101 farmers part of the jatha as marjeevras — those willing to die for a cause. He slammed the Haryana government for not allowing them to march into the capital even on foot.

Pandher had on Thursday, 5 December, told reporters that if the government stopped them from carrying out their march, it would be a "moral victory" for the farmers.

"Their leaders at the Centre and in states have been regularly saying that if the farmers do not bring tractors–trolleys, there should be no objection. So if we go to Delhi on foot, there should be no reason to stop the farmers," he said.

Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom day was also observed at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points by the farmers on this day.

Meanwhile, SKM leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continued his fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point on Friday.

Protesting farmers had earlier attempted to march towards Delhi on 13 and 21 February as well, but they were stopped by security forces deployed at the border points.

Besides MSP, the farmers are also demanding:

• farm debt waiver

• pension for farmers and farm labourers

• no hike in electricity tariff

• withdrawal of police cases (against farmers)

• justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

• reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013,

• and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the previous agitation in 2020–21.

Edited PTI inputs