Security up at Shambhu border ahead of farmers’ Delhi march; extra barricading draws flak

“These additional barricades towards the Punjab side by the Haryana government show that the Punjab government is hand in glove with Haryana,” said Tejveer Singh from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), a Haryana-based farmer union that has been part of the protest since its beginning.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union-Ekta and a few other unions from Haryana too are part of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), which along with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) have announced to march towards Delhi.

The Punjab police increased their strength towards the Shambhu border on Wednesday. They also met farmer union leaders near the highway police picket later.

Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Deputy Inspector-General, Patiala Range, told The Indian Express, “We held a meeting with the union leaders of the KMM and the SKM (non-political) on Thursday afternoon. We appealed to them to stay peaceful. We told them that the country’s vice-president has spoken in favour of farmers and that their concerns are being taken care of. So the union leaders need to stay peaceful. They have given us a positive response. However, extra security arrangements will of course be done at the location ahead of their Dilli Chalo plan.”

Meanwhile, the crowd at the Shambhu border has been growing with farmers from Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Sangrur, and Patiala as well as Ambala and Sirsa in Haryana having reached the protest venue.

“On December 6 afternoon, 101 farmers will march by foot under the leadership of Surjeet Singh Phool, Satnam Singh Pannu and a few others,” said Sarwan Singh Pandher, coordinator of the KMM.

Tejveer Singh of the BKU Shaheed Bhagat Singh said, “About 100 volunteers each will go on a daily basis and try their best to walk from the Shambhu border… Our jathas plans are ready till December 12 and they will march ahead daily. Let’s see what they (the governments) do. They will stand exposed if they refuse to let us go even by foot.”

“Farmers have volunteers to take care of medical help, community kitchens, traffic management, etc. They will hold another meeting and announce the final plan in the evening,” he added.

KMM coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “On December 6, a jatha of 101 farmers will be marching by foot. They will be carrying a small bag of essential supplies, our Kisan union flag stick. The farmers will carry wet handkerchiefs as we feel that they will again use tear gas shells at us. We saw drones flying in the sky between 4pm and 5pm and we have also heard that Haryana has called 10 companies of paramilitary forces. Let’s see what they will do to unarmed farmers.”

Meanwhile, a fresh round of talks was initiated by the Haryana government with farmers on Thursday. Deputy Superintendent of police (DSP) Ajit Deswal and DSP Ram Kumar from Ambala had come to meet Pandher and other union leaders at Punjab police’s highway police picket at 5 pm. However, the talks remained inconclusive as Pandher told them that they will march.