India: Farmers plan to use makeshift ‘tanks’ and iron sheets to cross Haryana border

The protesting farmers have refused to accept the Centre's offer to buy three types of pulses, maize, and cotton at the current Minimum Support Price (MSP), and will continue their march towards Delhi on Wednesday (Feb21).

At the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana, as well as other checkpoints heading to the national capital, the police and paramilitary troops are ready to stop the convoy by erecting multi-layered defences.

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Administrative measures include concrete barriers, barbed wires, and large shipping containers forming a multi-layer blockade. Police have affixed cemented nail strips on the highway to impede the movement of tractors and other vehicles used by the farmers. In response, the protesting farmers have improvised a makeshift "tank" to counteract these measures and continue their 'Dilli Chalo' march.

During the initial day of the protest, there were vehement demonstrations, leading to the police firing tear gas shells to disperse the farmers.

The farmers have installed a JCB Poclain Machine, which is generally utilised for excavation,onto a tractor by using a clever tactic.

Iron sheets act as a shield against rubber pellets and tear gas shells, protecting the operator cabin. The farmers think the rubber pellets and tear gas shells won't work because of the iron sheets. There's a little grill that the handler may see through in the JCB operator cabin.

To shield themselves from tear gas smoke, the farmers have covered their faces with layers of cloth. Taking further precautions, numerous sacks soaked in water will be hurled onthe gas shells to thwart the release of smoke.

The protesting farmers have rejected the government's proposition for a five-year contract to purchase maize, cotton, and three types of pulses at the existing minimum support price.

This refusal was announced shortly after the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organisation of farmer unions not directly involved in the ongoing protests, also criticised the MSP proposal.

Explaining the rejection, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal stated, "The government proposed (on Sunday night) and we have studied it. It doesn't make sense for the MSP to apply to only two or three crops and for the other farmers to be left to fend for themselves."

(With inputs from agencies)