A day after witnessing chaotic confrontations, the farmer unions, who had agreed to a temporary ‘ceasefire’ for the night, have vowed to resume their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, the first day of the march, more than 60 individuals, including farmers and members of the media, sustained injuries as police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters at the Punjab-Haryana border.
A significant deployment of personnel in riot gear stretched across the 8-km-long stretch leading up to the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border. Over 100 barricades and concrete boulders, covered by barbed wires, lined the road. Singhu border witnessed heavy security deployment, with forces from RAF, CAPF, and the Delhi Police standing guard to prevent farmers from entering the city.
After failed talks with the Centre on Monday, farmers commenced their “Dilli Chalo” march to press for demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP). On the first day, tensions escalated at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border as protesting farmers attempted to break cement barricades with their tractors.
A recap of what happened on Day 1 of Farmers Protest 2.0:
1. The Haryana government deployed drones on Tuesday to drop tear gas shells on farmers attempting to breach barricades at the Punjab-Haryana border. The Tear-Smoke-Unit (TSU) deployed at the Shambhu border used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for this purpose. The Haryana government utilised UAVs manufactured by the Drone Imaging and Information Service of Haryana Limited (DRISHYA), designed for guarding international borders, surveying infrastructure projects, and monitoring agriculture and horticulture crops.
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2. Protests and attempts to break the barricades led to injuries among the protesters and a few media personnel. Officials also reported that 24 police personnel were injured, while farmer leaders claimed over 60 protesters were hurt.
3. The historic Red Fort complex was closed for the day on Tuesday for security reasons. Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces occurred in central Delhi due to the farmers’ march. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) closed the gates of 9 stations on Tuesday, citing security instructions. Gates at Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk, Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Janpath, Khan Market, and Lok Kalyan Marg were closed.
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4. The Delhi government declined a proposal from the Centre to establish a temporary “jail” for protesting farmers at Bawana stadium. Delhi Home Minister Kailash Gahlot stated that farmers’ demands were genuine and emphasised their constitutional right to peaceful protest.
5. Traffic chaos gripped Delhi, Noida and Gurugram on Tuesday amid multiple layers of barricades and stringent border checks due to the ongoing farmers’ protest. This resulted in blocked routes and massive congestion near Singhu, Ghazipur, and Chilla border points. The situation is expected to persist on Wednesday, particularly in North and East Delhi.
6. The Delhi Airport issued an advisory on Tuesday, urging passengers to use the metro for timely arrival due to traffic restrictions caused by farmers’ protests at various Delhi borders starting Tuesday.
7. The Gautam Buddh Nagar Traffic Police issued various traffic advisories on Tuesday given the farmers’ protest in Delhi. The Delhi Police and Gautam Budh Nagar police conducted strict inspections. The police also urged the citizens to take the metro as much as possible to avoid inconvenience.
8. The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday allowed the farmers’ protests in the states, emphasising that as citizens of India, “they have the right to move.”
9. Demonstrating readiness for a prolonged struggle, the farmers said that they have come equipped with six months’ worth of rations and diesel, signalling their intent not to back down easily.
10. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced on Tuesday that if the Congress forms a government at the Centre, it would provide farmers with the legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops as per the Swaminathan Commission. “The BJP government gave a Bharat Ratna to (MS) Swaminathan but is not ready to do what he worked his entire life for. Swaminathan ji in his report said farmers should have the legal right to MSP. The BJP government is unable to give this,” said Rahul Gandhi.