After negotiations with the government to secure minimum prices for their crops failed, thousands of farmers began converging on the capital New Delhi.
Indian security forces fired tear gas on Tuesday to prevent them from entering the city.
Indian television channels showed thick clouds of tear gas fired to disperse protesters near Ambala, north of New Delhi, where police set up massive roadblocks with metal spikes, cement blocks and steel barriers on the main roads leading to the capital from the three neighboring states.
13 फरवरी को दिल्ली चलो मा र्च के लिए निकल चुके हैं।
पंजाब-हरियाणा के शंभू बॉर्डर पर बैरिकेडिंग तो ड़ने की कोशिश गई तो पुलिस ने ड्रोन से आंसू गैस के गोले दागे।
हरियाणा में कई जगहों पर किसानों ने बैरिकेड हटा ने की कोशिश की।
#FarmersProtest2024 #NewDelhi #Police pic.twitter.com/OHeKMwokLt
— Liveindia news (@Liveindian19185) February 13, 2024
“Maximum strength has been deployed,” said Ranjay Atrishya, deputy commissioner of New Delhi police.
Any public gathering of more than five people has been banned in the capital.
Long convoys of tractors were heading towards the capital from the neighboring states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, according to televisions.
The farmers called for a “Delhi Chalo” (a march on Delhi) which evokes their demonstration on January 26, 2021 when they forced police blockades to enter New Delhi on Republic Day, during a months-long conflict with the government to protest against the liberalization of agricultural markets.
Ready to march on Delhi
Farmers in India enjoy significant political influence due to their numbers.
The threat of further protests comes ahead of national elections expected in April.
Two-thirds of the population of 1.4 billion make a living from agriculture, which accounts for almost a fifth of the country's GDP, according to official figures.
“Farmers across the country are ready to march on Delhi from Tuesday if the government does not meet our demands,” said Swaran Singh Pandher, leader of a national farmers' association.
These demands relate to the setting of a minimum price for crops as well as pensions and debt cancellations.
According to demonstrators, trucks come from certain states where there is no floor price and sell the merchandise where there is one.
As in France, farmers want rapid answers three months before the legislative elections in the country.
However, the last farmer protests lasted more than a year, until the fall of 2021. Tens of thousands of farmers then set up makeshift camps and more than 700 people were killed during the protests.