Farmers March To Delhi For Mahapanchayat As Haryana Police Seals Shambhu Border

A large convoy of farmers from Punjab has commenced its march towards the national capital, Delhi, to participate in a scheduled Mahapanchayat. However, in a preemptive move to prevent the farmers from reaching their destination, the Haryana Police has completely sealed the Shambhu border. Heavy barricades have been deployed across the border points to ensure that the protesting farmers don't enter the state or proceed further towards Delhi. This security crackdown comes at a time when the national capital is already witnessing protests by youth at Jantar Mantar, adding to the administrative concerns regarding law and order.

The Purpose Behind the Mahapanchayat

The primary reason for calling this Mahapanchayat is the farmers' staunch opposition to the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the United States of America. Prominent farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Gurnam Singh Charuni, have voiced serious concerns regarding the implications of this international deal. According to the farmer leaders, if the agreement is finalized, it would allow American agricultural, dairy, and poultry products to flood the Indian markets. They argue that these cheap foreign imports would lead to a significant decline in the income of small-scale Indian farmers and laborers, potentially causing irreparable damage to the domestic rural economy. The Mahapanchayat has been organized specifically to address these grievances and demand a halt to the FTA negotiations.

Scale of the Protest and Leadership Crackdown

The organizers claim that approximately 550 farmer organizations and various social forums from across the country are participating in this Mahapanchayat. Farmers from several states, including Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, have already started their journey towards Delhi, while in response to the call for the march, the Haryana administration has taken strict measures. Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, along with several other prominent leaders, has reportedly been placed under house arrest to prevent them from leading the mobilization. Despite these restrictions, farmers in Haryana had announced their intention to begin the march to Delhi as early as 5 AM today.

Farmers' Stance and Police Action

Farmers arriving at the Shambhu border expressed their frustration over the heavy police presence and the sealing of the highway, while they clarified that their intention wasn't to hold an indefinite sit-in or protest in Delhi. Instead, they stated that they only planned to attend a one-day Mahapanchayat and intended to return home immediately after the event. Some farmers who reached the border to assess the situation remarked that the Haryana Police had sealed the border in a manner that suggested they were dealing with people from another country rather than their own citizens. They emphasized that their movement was peaceful and aimed solely at raising their voices against policies that threaten their livelihoods.

Impact on Public and Logistics

The sudden sealing of the Shambhu border in the early hours of the morning has caused immense hardship for the general public and transporters. All vehicles traveling from Punjab through Haryana towards Delhi have been caught in massive traffic snarls. Numerous large trucks are currently stranded on the flyovers near the Shambhu border. To manage the situation, the Punjab Police has been seen assisting drivers in taking U-turns from the Punjab side of the border to return. 5 years ago at the same location due to farmer-related developments. A police official present at the site confirmed that since the Haryana side is completely sealed, they've no choice but to redirect the vehicles back to Punjab.