Delhi Chalo: Farmers to squat on rail tracks in Punjab, multiple barricades on Delhi borders

The Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) announced that farmers would squat on rail tracks at seven places in Punjab on Thursday to protest the Haryana Police action against protesting farmers at the borders.

BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said their agitation will be held from noon to 4.00 pm. The decision was taken in protest the use of tear gas shells and water cannons against agitating farmers by Haryana security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, he said.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the Delhi Chalo agitation to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on minimum support price (MSP) for crops, and loan waivers. Farmers demanding a law on MSP are marching to Delhi after a meeting with a team of Union ministers over their demands remained inconclusive.

The BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), which is a member of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, is not part of the Delhi Chalo call, but said it was against the move to prevent farmers from heading towards Delhi by sealing borders.

On Tuesday, farmers clashed with Haryana Police at two border points between the two states, facing tear gas and water cannons as they tried to break the barricades blocking their protest march to the national capital.

On Wednesday, the second day of the Delhi Chalo march, traffic movement remained unrestricted on the city's Ghazipur border with Uttar Pradesh while it was completely closed at the Singhu and Tikri borders with Haryana.

There is tight security in the national capital owing to the march, with personnel being deployed in large numbers and barricades put up to regulate movement in central Delhi and at the border points with Haryana.

The NH-9 and NH-24, which connect Delhi with Ghaziabad and Noida and further with Meerut, witnessed uninterrupted movement of vehicles during the day. According to police, traffic was heavy on both carriageways of the DND Flyway.

In a post on X, Delhi Police said, "Due to the deployment of picket/checking on DND Flyway, traffic is heavy on both the carriageways of the DND Flyway. Commuters from Noida to Delhi and vice-versa are advised to take alternative routes like Chilla Border route."

Multiple layers of barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails and container walls have been placed at the city’s border points — Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri — to thwart the farmers’ march. A section of a road in a village near the Singhu border was even dug up to prevent the march.

Saksham Mishra, a resident of east Delhi, said there was no restriction on traffic movement on the Delhi-Meerut expressway. "I went to a hospital in Indirapuram via the Delhi-Meerut expressway and there were no restrictions. Security is, however, high at the border," he added.

The farmers are also calling for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waivers, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence among others.

The last case relates to the incident of violence on 3 October 2021, in which eight people, including four farmers and a TV journalist, were killed in Banbirpur village near Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district. The violence erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area and blocking his convoy.

As they walked on the road, four farmers were mowed down by an SUV belonging to the convoy, coming from behind. Two other vehicles followed the first car and reportedly crushed the injured. According to witnesses, shots were also fired. Angry protesters torched two of the cars and allegedly lynched one of the drivers and two BJP workers, while the driver of the third car fled the site with the vehicle. A journalist also died in the violence.

Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son Ashish Mishra is among those facing prosecution in the case. He was reportedly sitting in the SUV which initially struck down the four farmers.