Tear gas has been fired by security forces at protesting farmers in India as they attempt to march to Delhi.
Demonstrators broke through several layers of barricades during clashes with hundreds of police and para-military forces at the Shambhu crossing at the Punjab and Haryana border.
The farmers have a series of demands including waiving debts on farm loans, pensions for farmers and labourers, help with energy costs and legal guarantees around the Minimum Support Price (MSP) – which protects farmers from falls in crop prices.
Security has been tightened at the Shambhu crossing, on the border of Punjab and Haryana states, where hundreds have been camped out since February.
The Haryana government, which is controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, has refused to allow protesters to pass through their state to reach the capital, about 140 miles (225km) away.
Police Superintendent Surender Singh Bhoria from the district of Ambala said: “All security measures were in place and if the farmers want to go to Delhi, they should first get permission from Delhi Police”.
Officers have reinforced barricades, adding three more layers, with razor wire and concrete barriers embedded with iron nails.
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Hundreds of police and para-military personnel have been deployed along with drones and water cannon.
Schools have been closed on Friday in Ambala and special restrictions imposed on gatherings of five or more people in one place. Internet services have also been blocked in some areas along the border.
The protests are being supported by two large farming unions, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), although other groups are not backing the march.
The protest groups have made three attempts to march to Delhi since February.
Farming leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said: “We’ve had four rounds of talks with the government and nothing has been resolved. We are open for talks with the government to resolve these issues.
“This does not look like a Punjab-Haryana border, but an international territory. They are treating us like we are enemies from some other country.
“We are citizens of this land who want to peacefully march to the national capital to press our demands. The administration has accused us of carrying weapons, but we will march peacefully and on foot instead of taking tractors this time.”
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The Indian government said it remains open for talks. Kamlesh Paswan, minister for rural development, said: “No other government has done as much for farmers as the Modi government, we have helped them in every sector.”
Farmer issues can only be “resolved through talks. Dialogue is the only way forward and they should hold talks with the agriculture minister”, he added.
More than half of India’s population are farmers with millions more attached to agriculture.
On Monday about 5,000 farmers from Uttar Pradesh attempted to march to Delhi seeking fair compensation for land acquired by the government since 1997.
The march was blocked on the edge of the capital with some farmers being detained by police.
India’s Supreme Court, which had been asked to intervene, addressed that ongoing protest. Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said: “In a democratic setup, you can engage in peaceful protests but do not cause inconvenience to people… We are not commenting on whether the protest is right or wrong.”
Security has now been tightened on national highways, with barriers being deployed and vehicle stop checks.
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In 2020, thousands laid siege on the edge of the capital for 16 months during protests against what they considered ‘anti-farming’ laws being introduced by Modi’s government.
The legislation was later withdrawn, but unions claim more than 750 farmers lost their lives during the demonstrations.
