The operator cabin of the JCB has a small grill for the handler to see.
Protesting farmers of Punjab have rejected the Centre’s proposal to purchase three types of pulses, maize and cotton at the old MSP and their march to Delhi will continue tomorrow also. Police and paramilitary forces have geared up to stop the convoy with multi-layered fortifications at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana and other checkpoints leading to the national capital.
Concrete barriers, barbed wire and large shipping containers are part of a multi-layer blockade by the authorities. Police have installed cement spike strips on the highway to stop the movement of farmers’ tractors and other vehicles. Four years ago, a large number of farmers had camped for months at various borders of Delhi and the police had taken such steps anticipating a similar situation.
floating “tank”
The farmers have created a temporary “tank” to counter the measures and continue their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. There were intense protests on the first day of the protest, with tear gas shells fired by the police to disperse the farmers. Their resourceful approach includes a JCB Poklane machine, used for digging and excavation, mounted on a tractor, with the operator cabin lined with iron sheets to protect the individual from tear gas shells and rubber pellets. Is covered. The protesting farmers believe that tear gas shells and rubber bullets will be ineffective in the face of the “iron shield”. The operator cabin of the JCB has a small grill for the handler to see.
Farmers covered their faces with layers of cloth to protect themselves from the smoke emanating from tear gas shells. Going a step further, a large number of sacks have been soaked in water and will be poured over the gas shale to trap the smoke.
‘crossing the river’
Haryana Police has installed metal sheets to block both sides of the highway leading to Delhi at the Shambhu Barrier on the Ghaggar river in Ambala. Anticipating that farmers would cross the river, the police have dug up the river bed to stop the movement of tractors, trolleys and other motor vehicles.
Farmers have loaded sacks full of soil in their trolleys to build a temporary bridge to cross the river bed. The pictures show at least seven trolleys loaded with sacks. Temporary crossings could be used as ramps for tractors to cross the fortifications.
Aerial visuals show multiple layers of police barricades, with policemen wearing helmets and knee and chest pads to protect themselves from stone pelting, which was seen on the first day of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. The farmers said they would resume their march towards Delhi peacefully. “We want to appeal to the government not to use force against us. We want to protest peacefully,” the farmers told NDTV.
Talks fail, march resumes
The protesting farmers rejected the government’s offer of a five-year contract for procurement of maize, cotton and three types of pulses at the old minimum support price.
The announcement by the protesting farmers came hours after the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organization of farmer unions, which is not part of the current protests, criticized the MSP proposal.
Explaining the reasons for rejecting the proposal, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said in Hindi, “The government made the proposal (on Sunday night) and we have studied it. There is no point in implementing MSP only on two or three crops.” Not there.” And other farmers should be left to fend for themselves.”
