IMAGE: Farmers confront the police at Shambhu, a border crossing between Punjab and Haryana, February 14, 2024, as they march towards New Delhi to press for better crop prices promised to them in 2021. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
Several farmer associations from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab have called a protest to demand a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP), one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation against the now repealed farm laws in 2021.
Besides a legal guarantee for an MSP, the farmers are also demanding implementation of the M S Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and 'justice' for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Bracing for another agitation by farmers, the police in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are fortifying the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-Haryana borders with barricades and deploying more than 5,000 security personnel.
On Wednesday, farmers from UP went on a sit-in demonstration on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway as police blocked their protest march to Delhi, resulting in traffic chaos.
The police deployed tear gas and water cannons for a second day to stop the farmers from marching to Delhi.
Farmer leaders blame the Centre for the harsh action on the protesters and say 60 protestors were injured in tear gas shelling.
Economist Dr Madura Swaminathan, one of Bharat Ratna Dr M S Swaminathan's daughters, implored the authorities on Wednesday not to treat the farmers as criminals.
IMAGE: Protesters try to protect themselves from the tear gas shells. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
IMAGE: A protester has his face washed with water after coming in contact with tear gas. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
IMAGE: A protester rides a horse. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
IMAGE: A man puts eye drops into the eyes of a fellow protester to mitigate his reaction to tear gas. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
IMAGE: Farmers throw tear gas shells back at the police. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
IMAGE: A protester takes cover. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
IMAGE: Farmers carry an injured protester. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
IMAGE: Farmers fly kites at the Shambhu border during the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march. The kites were meant to deter the tear gas drones deployed by the police. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Farmers apply face packs to each other's faces as a preventive measure against the effects of tear gas during the 'Delhi Chalo' march. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal addresses the farmers during the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Protesting farmers at the Shambhu Punjab-Haryana border. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Protesting farmers from across Punjab at the Shambhu border. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Security personnel, heavy vehicles, cemented barricades, barbed wires deployed at the Delhi-UP Ghazipur border to deter the farmers from marching towards the national capital. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
