Farmers marching towards Delhi were met with force from Haryana Police, resulting in several injuries among protesters, including farmer leaders. In response, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) (SKM-NP) decided to recall the 101 farmers who had begun their journey towards the capital.
The farmers began their foot march from the Shambhu border on Friday, but were halted just a few meters away by a series of barricades set up by authorities. The Haryana Police intervened, citing a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which restricted the farmers from advancing further.
The protestors, affiliated with the KMM and SKM-NP, are demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. As tensions escalated, the Ambala district administration imposed a ban on unlawful assemblies of five or more people.
In response, a group of farmers attempted to breach the barricades by pushing down the iron mesh and breaking through security lines on the Ghaggar River bridge. To control the situation, the Haryana government suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 11 villages of Ambala district, effective until December 9. The affected villages include Dangdehri, Lohgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Lhars, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar, Saddopur, Sultanpur, and Kakru.
The farmers, carrying union flags and chanting slogans, attempted to break through multiple layers of barricades but were stopped by security personnel. Despite their determination, they were unable to proceed beyond the first barricade. Some protesters pushed aside iron mesh and barbed wire, while others uprooted nails from the road. Security forces, stationed behind cement barriers, urged the protesters to stop, explaining that they lacked permission to march.
Water cannons were also deployed at the Shambhu border to prevent further escalation. During the protests, Sarwan Singh Pandher, a prominent farmer leader, referred to the 101 protesters as ‘marjeevras’—those willing to die for their cause. Pandher criticized the Haryana government for blocking their peaceful march, asserting that the government’s stance would only result in a moral victory for the farmers.
He further emphasized that the government had previously stated there would be no objection if farmers marched without tractor-trolleys, and that stopping them from walking to Delhi was unjustified.
The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after security forces halted their previous attempt to march to Delhi.
