As farmers prepare for a march to Delhi on Friday, December 5, increased security measures have been implemented at the Shambhu border along NH-44. Haryana and Punjab police have ramped up their presence to manage the rising number of protesters. Over 100 farmers are speculated to take part in the march, which aims to highlight their demands.

Haryana police on Thursday tightened the barricades at the Shambhu border by adding three more layers, which include wire mesh and movable traffic barriers, to the existing seven-layer system consisting of walls, iron nails, and barbed wire. A tent has also been set up as part of the preparations.

Bharatiya Kisan Union-Ekta and other Haryana-based groups are some of the farmer unions that come together under the banners of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the non-political Samyukta Kisan Morcha to voice their demands during the upcoming march.

During a press conference, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher confirmed that the march to Delhi would go ahead as planned. Farmers from both the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced their intention to undertake a foot march to the national capital. Their main demand is the establishment of a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) of crops, along with other issues.

At 1 pm on Friday, a group of 101 farmers, led by Sarwan Singh Pandher, will start their foot march to Delhi from the Shambhu border protest site. However, the Ambala district administration has issued an order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), prohibiting any unlawful assembly of five or more people in the district. The order also forbids any processions, whether on foot, by vehicle, or other means, until further notice.

In response to the planned march, the Ambala police have issued an alert and deployed senior officers to assess the security situation at the border. Central paramilitary forces have been stationed on the Haryana side of the border, supported by multi-layer barricades.

On Wednesday, the district administration appealed to the farmers to reconsider their march and advised them to obtain approval from Delhi Police before proceeding.

The reason behind the farmers’ protest

The protest was announced by BKP leader Sukhbir Khalifa,  to highlight the farmers' demands for compensation and benefits under the new agricultural laws. Khalifa said, “We are ready for our march towards Delhi. Tomorrow, December 2, we will start our march toward Delhi from under the Maha Maya flyover (in Noida). At noon, all of us will reach there and demand our compensation and benefits as per the new laws."

Farmer groups like the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM, non-political) have announced plans to walk towards Delhi starting December 6. They want to push for their demands, including a legal promise for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and other problems farmers face.

Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyan Singh Rana criticized the protest, saying it lacks legitimate reasons. He remarked, “They have no issues. The previous farmers’ agitation had an issue—the three farm laws. Those three laws were later repealed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The farmers’ agitation has caused losses to Punjab. Rice miller industries from Punjab moved to Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. We will not let anyone play with the law and order situation in Haryana."