Farmers' march, over proposed India-US trade deal, to Delhi halted at Haryana border

Hundreds of farmers from Punjab heading towards New Delhi to join a Kisan Mahapanchayat against the proposed India-US trade agreement were stopped by Haryana Police at the Shambhu border on Tuesday.

The Shambhu border, a key entry point between Punjab and Haryana, witnessed scenes similar to the February 2024 "Delhi Chalo-2" farmers' protest, with authorities setting up barricades using concrete blocks, iron spikes and multiple layers of security barriers to prevent the farmers from moving towards the Indian capital.

After being denied entry, the protesting farmers turned the border area into a demonstration site, accusing the Haryana and Punjab governments of curbing their democratic right to hold a gathering in Delhi.

BKU Shaheed Bhagat Singh leader Tezveer Singh alleged that Haryana Police had placed barricades inside Punjab territory and criticised the Punjab government for allegedly remaining inactive instead of opposing the move.

While Punjab-based farmer groups were stopped at the border, farmers from Haryana districts, including Ambala and Kurukshetra, continued their journey towards Delhi.

The Mahapanchayat was organised under the banner of Desh Bachao Morcha, bringing together farmer organisations from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to demand that the central government withdraw from negotiations on the proposed India-US trade agreement.

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said groups including KMSC, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha's Punjab unit, Azaad Kisan Morcha and BKU Ekta Sangharsh had started their marches from different parts of Punjab before being stopped at Shambhu.

Pandher said a joint statement issued by India and the United States in February 2026 included a commitment to negotiate the first phase of a multi-sector bilateral trade agreement by autumn 2026.

He argued that the proposed agreement went beyond a traditional trade pact as it could cover areas including agriculture, dairy, industry, digital trade, e-commerce, investment, government procurement, intellectual property rights and services.

Farmer leaders expressed concerns that previous US trade positions had sought greater access to India's agriculture and dairy markets through reduced tariffs and fewer restrictions on products such as soybeans, maize, cotton, ethanol, apples, almonds, dairy items, poultry and fisheries.

They warned that allowing subsidised American agricultural and dairy products into the Indian market could severely affect millions of small and marginal farmers who may struggle to compete.

The protesters also raised concerns over what they described as a lack of transparency in the trade negotiations, saying important details of the proposed agreement had not been made public.

Farmer organisations said India's dairy sector supports nearly 80 million rural families and warned that any negative impact on the sector would affect producers, small traders, food processors, agro-based industries and micro enterprises.

The Desh Bachao Morcha demanded that the government make all documents related to the proposed India-US trade agreement public and avoid signing any deal without detailed consultations with farmers, workers, dairy producers, small businesses and other stakeholders.

Source: NDTV