Farmers’ protest: Section 144 imposed, multilayer barricades, paramilitary personnel deployed; a lowdown on the Delhi Chalo march

Farmers’ protest in Delhi: The protesting farmers, all set to march to Delhi on Tuesday, are not convinced that the government is “serious” about fulfilling their demands. On Monday, members of the protesting farmers’ unions met Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, who, along with Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss their demands. However, the talks remained inconclusive. 

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced that they will start the march to Delhi at 10 am on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Delhi and Haryana Police have fortified the borders. Section 144 has been imposed in Delhi and in multiple districts in Haryana. 

Delhi Chalo march: All you need to know about the farmers’ protest:

• The farmers’ union is pressing the Centre to accept certain demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. Implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act - 2013, withdrawal from the World Trade Organization, and compensation for families of farmers who died during the previous agitation are some of the other demands.
• However, the farmers were not convinced of the government’s intent to help them meet their demands. "We do not think the government is serious about any of our demands. We do not think they want to fulfil our demands,” said Sarwan Singh Panhder, general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee. 
• The ministers who met the union said, on the other hand, that a consensus was reached on most issues and a formula to resolve the issues was proposed with the formation of a committee. "We are still hopeful that farmer bodies will hold talks … We will try to resolve issues in the coming days," minister Arjun Munda said.
• Security has been intensified in both Delhi and Haryana. The state borders have been fortified using concrete blocks, iron nails and barbed wire to get the crowd to disperse. Haryana-Punjab border in Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra and Sirsa have been fortified too.
• The farmers assembled at Mehlan Kalan Chowk in Sangrur district on Monday. They plan to start the march on Tuesday from the Ambala-Shambhu, Khanauri-Jind and the Dabwali borders. 
• Among the convoy of tractor trolleys was also an excavator that the farmers are planning to use to break barricades. The tractor trolleys are carrying essential items including dry ration, mattresses and utensils as well. 
• Haryana authorities have deployed 64 companies of paramilitary personnel and 50 from Haryana Police have also been deployed across various districts.They are all equipped with riot gear. Drones and CCTV cameras are also being used.
• In Delhi, multi-layer barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails and walls of containers have been put at border points. Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders. Makeshift jails have also been put up at specific locations. 
• Delhi Police has imposed Section 144, banning the assembly of five or more people, processions or rallies and entry of tractor trolleys carrying people and equipment. 
• Interstate buses intending to move towards Sonipat, Panipat and Karnal, among others, via National Highway 44 have been directed to take the ISBT to Majnu ka Tilla to Signature Bridge to Khajuri Chowk to Loni Border to KMP via Khekra.
• Heavy goods vehicles moving towards Sonipat, Panipat and Karnal, among others, via National Highway 44 are suggested to take the second exit at the DSIIDC intersection to the Harish Chander Hospital crossing to the Bawana Road crossing to Bawana Chowk to Bawana-Auchandi Road, reaching the Auchandi border to KMP via Saidpur Chowki.
• The heavy goods vehicles intending to go towards Bahadurgarh and Rohtak, etc, have been suggested to take Outer Ring Road from Mukarba Chowk to Madhuban Chowk to Bhagwan Mahavir Road to Rithala to Pansali Chowk to Helipad to UER-II to Kanjhawala Road-Karala T-Point-Kanjhawala Chowk to Jaunti Village to Jaunti Border/Nizampur Border and enter in Haryana village Bamnoli and may go further go via Nahra-Nahari road to Bahadurgarh road. 
• Cars and light goods vehicles intending to travel to Sonipat, Panipat and Karnal via National Highway 44 are suggested to take the first exit at the Alipur cut to Shani Mandir to Palla Bakhtawarpur Road Y-Point to the Dahisara Village Road two-lane stretch to MCD toll Dahisara to Jatti Kalan Road to Singhu Stadium to PS Kundali, reaching National Highway 44 towards Sonipat in Haryana.

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