India farmer protest: Loaded with ration and diesel, are they planning to camp for months in Delhi, again?

Farmers marching towards India’s national capital are planning to stage months-long protests and are likely to sit through the upcoming general elections, several media reports said. The farmers have mobilised over 1,500 tractors and 500 vehicles for the protest and are carrying six months’ worth of ration and logistics, as per an intelligence report.

If they indeed stay for months, it would be a repeat of the 2020-21 protest against the so-called farm bills that were subsequently repealed.

Farmers could exploit remote border points

The intelligence report also stated that farmers could exploit remote and lesser-known border points to enter into Delhi as main entry points are expected to be fully guarded by police. As per the farmers’ unions, the main points of entry to Delhi are Shambhu Border (Ambala), Khanori (Jind), and Dabwali (Sirsa).

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The ‘Delhi Chalo’ (March toDelhi) agitation has been organised by over 200 farm unions after talks with two union ministers failed to yield any result.

Tractors modified

The intelligence report reveals that farmers have converted tractors into shelters and stays, indicating that they are in for a long haul.

The farmers plan to reach Delhi in several unorganised groups and take shelter in gurudwaras, dharamshalas, ashrams and guest houses around the national capital.

"From a needle to hammer, we have everything we need in our trolleys, including tools to break stones. We left our village with six months' ration with us. We have enough diesel, even for our brothers from Haryana," Harbhajan Singh, a farmer from Punjab's Gurdaspur, headed to Delhi on his tractor, pulling two trollies loaded with supplies, was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Watch:Farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' March: Thousands of agitating farmers en route to Delhi

To gather support from farmers acrossthe nation, top farmer leaders have also travelled to states like Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu over the past few months.

Police presence beefed up in border areas

Meanwhile, police presence has been beefed up in border areas, including Noida and Ghaziabad. These are the areas frequently targeted by farmers to enter Delhi.

On Tuesday (Feb 13), traffic chaos was observed across the National Capital Region (NCR) as police barricading restricted the movement of vehicles.

Vehicle checks are being conducted at the Noida-Delhi border by police from both sides, leading to some traffic congestion.

Police said they were using drones to monitor the situation in sensitive areas. Authorities also issued warnings regarding potential diversions of traffic due to the farmers’ march.

(With inputs from agencies)