Haryana seals border, detains farmers to block Delhi march against India-US trade deal
New Delhi,: The Indian state of Haryana on Tuesday sealed the Shambhu border with Punjab and deployed heavy police contingents to prevent thousands of farmers from reaching New Delhi for a Kisan Mahapanchayat against the proposed India-US trade agreement.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the Haryana government erected multi-layered barricades, cement blocks and deployed a large police force at the Shambhu border, leading to massive traffic disruptions and leaving hundreds of commuters stranded.
Farmer leaders accused the authorities of deliberately blocking a peaceful march to suppress their democratic right to protest.
Convoys of farmers travelling from Punjab towards Delhi were stopped at several points, while Kurukshetra Police detained groups of farmers heading to the national capital. Many protesters staged sit-ins on highways after being prevented from proceeding.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher strongly condemned the blockade, saying the Haryana government was using force to stop peaceful protesters from participating in the Mahapanchayat. Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) leaders alleged that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Haryana were attempting to silence farmers instead of addressing their concerns.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) extended its support to the farmers’ march, urging the Indian government not to sign any trade agreement that could harm the interests of Indian farmers.
Farmer unions reiterated their strong opposition to the proposed India-US trade deal, warning that allowing cheaper agricultural imports from the United States would severely affect millions of small Indian farmers, who own only a few acres of land and cannot compete with heavily subsidised large-scale American agriculture.
Despite police blockades and detentions, farmer leaders vowed to continue their struggle, asserting that they would not retreat until their voices were heard and their concerns over the proposed trade agreement were addressed.
