New Delhi: Farmers are preparing for a significant foot march to Delhi today, pressing for a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) among other demands. Security has been heightened at the Shambhu border along NH-44, with authorities implementing stringent measures to prevent any disruptions. Haryana and Punjab police have deployed heavy reinforcements, including multi-layer barricading with wire meshes, movable barriers, and iron nails. Central paramilitary forces are also stationed at the border to ensure law and order.
Over 100 farmers, under the banners of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), have announced their intent to march peacefully. Despite Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita being invoked to prohibit unlawful gatherings, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher confirmed that the first group of 101 farmers, named ‘Marjeevda Jatha,’ will begin their march at 1 p.m. today.
The farmers, who have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February, are also demanding debt waivers, pensions for farmers and laborers, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation for families affected by the previous 2020–21 protests. Addressing a press conference, Pandher expressed disappointment over the excessive security measures, comparing the border to an international frontier.
While Haryana authorities have urged the farmers to reconsider their march and follow legal procedures, farmer leaders have emphasized their willingness to engage in dialogue if approached by central or state government officials. Protests coinciding with Guru Teg Bahadur Ji’s martyrdom day will also be observed at the protest sites, dedicating the march to his memory. As tensions escalate, all eyes remain on the Shambhu border and the farmers’ next steps.
