In preparation for another farmer protest, authorities are strengthening security measures at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-Haryana borders by erecting barricades and deploying over 5,000 security personnel. Numerous farmer associations, mainly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, have called for a protest on February 13. The farmers are demanding a law that guarantees a minimum support price (MSP), which was one of the conditions for withdrawing their previous agitation against the now-repealed farm laws in 2021. They are also seeking the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, and justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
At the Delhi-UP border, barricades have been set up at Ghazipur, and at the Chilla border, the Noida Police and Delhi Police have established barricades to prevent protesters from entering the national capital. On Thursday, thousands of farmers from around 100 villages in Noida and Greater Noida attempted to march towards the Parliament but were unsuccessful, causing traffic disruptions in parts of Delhi-NCR.
In Haryana, the government has suspended mobile internet services and bulk SMS in seven districts in anticipation of the farmers’ proposed ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. The suspension will be in effect from February 11 to February 13. The decision was made to prevent the spread of misinformation and rumors through social media platforms, which could mobilize agitators and lead to violent activities. Additionally, entry points at the Punjab borders in Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad, and Sirsa districts have been sealed with concrete walls to maintain peace and order.
Authorities in Panchkula have invoked Section 144, prohibiting processions, demonstrations, and the carrying of weapons. The Haryana Police has also issued a traffic advisory urging commuters to limit travel on main roads on February 13 due to expected disruptions. Concrete barricades and road closures have been put in place at the Shambhu border, and the movement of vehicular traffic has been affected at the partially sealed Punjab-Haryana and Delhi-Haryana borders.
To address the farmers’ demands, three Union ministers – Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Nityanand Rai – have invited farmer representatives for a meeting on February 12 in Chandigarh. The meeting will take place a day before the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration. This will be the second meeting between the ministers and farmer leaders, following a detailed discussion held on February 8.
The ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, organized by over 200 farmers’ unions under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, is the second major protest since the withdrawal of the previous agitation against the farm laws in 2021.