Pandher added that it has been almost 10 months, and not a single one of their demands has been fulfilled by the government at the Centre. He further said that the first “jatha” of farmers would be led by Satnam Singh Pannu, Surinder Singh Chautala, Surjit Singh Phul, and Baljinder Singh.On Thursday, he said farmers will not take any tractor-trolley with them.The farmers, many of whom have come prepared for a long haul, have brought along vegetables, sacks of flour, lentils, and cooking oil on their tractor-trailers. The protesting farmers, comprising men and women – both young and old – and school and college students, are travelling in tractor-trailers, cars, and motorcycles. They have set up tents and makeshift kitchens to serve food to the protesters.“We are carrying the ration that lasts up to two-three months,” said Gurdev Singh, a farmer from Moga town.Farmers have been camping at the borders of Shambhu and Khanauri border points, since February 13. They are primarily seeking a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, among other demands, including a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, and no hike in electricity tariffs.The farmers are also seeking “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation for the families of farmers who died during the previous agitation in 2020-21.Police from both states have been deployed in strength, and borders have been sealed to prevent the forceful entry of farmers into Haryana. However, there have been no reports of violence or the use of force so far to disperse the protesters.On Wednesday, the district administration of Ambala in Haryana asked Punjab farmers to reconsider their proposed march to Delhi and advised them to seek permission from the Delhi Police before taking further action. Delhi Police, however, said it had not received any request from the farmers to march to Delhi.”Delhi Police is on alert, and security has been tightened at the border points of the city. A skeletal deployment has been made at the Singhu Border, but it may increase depending on the situation at the Shambhu border on the Punjab-Haryana border,” a senior police officer told PTI.Traffic disruptions are expected due to the security arrangements at the border and in the central part of Delhi, the officer said. The police are also monitoring developments at the Noida border, where another group of farmers from Uttar Pradesh is observing a sit-in.Farmers had earlier attempted to march into the national capital on February 13 and February 21, but they were stopped by security forces at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders on the Punjab-Haryana borders.
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