Ahead of the farmers’ march to Delhi scheduled for Friday, security has been heightened at the Shambhu border on NH-44, with both Haryana and Punjab police deploying significant resources to manage the swelling crowds of protesters.
On Thursday, Haryana police reinforced the barricades near the border, adding three new layers, including a wire mesh and movable traffic barriers, to the already extensive seven-layer setup featuring walls, iron nails, and barbed wire. A tent was also erected as part of the preparations.
“These additional barricades by the Haryana government, aimed at the Punjab side, show collusion between the two states,” alleged Tejveer Singh of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), a Haryana-based farmer group that has been actively involved in the protests. Multiple unions, including Bharatiya Kisan Union-Ekta and others from Haryana, are rallying under the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) banners to push their demands during the march.
Punjab police, meanwhile, have also increased their presence at the border. On Wednesday, senior officers met farmer union leaders near the highway to discuss maintaining order. Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Deputy Inspector-General of the Patiala Range, commented, “We held a meeting with union leaders from the KMM and SKM (non-political) and appealed for peace. We informed them that the vice-president has spoken in support of farmers and that their concerns are being addressed. The leaders responded positively, but extra security arrangements are in place for their planned march.”
The protest site at the Shambhu border continues to swell with farmers arriving from Punjab districts like Taran Taran, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Sangrur, and Patiala, as well as Haryana districts such as Ambala and Sirsa.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, a coordinator of the KMM, announced that a group of 100 farmers will begin marching on foot on December 6, led by leaders including Surjeet Singh Phool and Satnam Singh Pannu. “Daily marches will continue under our planned schedule until December 12,” he said.
Tejveer Singh added that the protestors are prepared for any government action. “If they stop us even when marching on foot, it will expose them. Our volunteers are ready to provide medical aid, manage traffic, and run community kitchens. Final plans will be announced after another meeting this evening,” he stated.