New Delhi, Nov 27 (IANS): Thousands of farmers, who set out at dawn after the night's rest at whatever destination they reached starting 24 hours back, were welcomed with chilled waters of water cannons at Delhi borders -- Tikri, Singhu.
At the Delhi Haryana border of Singhu, police resorted to tear-gas shells shot one after another at least nine of them, as the farmers' advance appeared menacing. Following the use, the farmers moved a few metres back, but they are relentless as huge bottlenecks have come up at all arterial routes leading to the national capital.
Propped on tractors and trucks, bikes, and many on bicycles and foot these marchers have started from six states, including the neighbouring Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan besides Kerala. The marches have been planned for two months to press the central government to repeal the recently enacted farm laws.
The Delhi Police has sent out a curt message that if they entered the Delhi borders they will be dealt with stringently. Not only personnel have been deployed on the Delhi-Haryana's Singhu border, who are using tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, but nine temporary jails can also be ready to house them.
Heavy police and paramilitary deployment at Singhu border, Tikri border, Delhi-Gurugram border, and Faridabad border, have not weakened the protesters intention though.
At Singhu border the Delhi Police has put barbed wires and Boulder barricades to stop farmers trolleys heading towards the capital city.
They have used innovative tactics by putting up trolleys filled with mud and sand to break their advance. The farmers are protesting three Farm Laws, including one on MSP.
Drones have also been deployed to check the farmers march from a distance. Senior police officers are themselves monitoring the border areas.