Thousands of farmers are marching towards New Delhi, the capital of India, on tractors and trucks, pressuring the government to grant their requests, which include debt forgiveness and guaranteed pricing for their produce. Reminiscent of the 16-month-long revolt by the farmers two years ago, police in the neighboring state of Haryana, which borders Delhi, used tear gas on farmers on Tuesday to keep them from entering the capital, which has been turned into a fortress. Barbed wire, spikes, and cement blocks have been used to wall off several entry ways into the capital.
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LIVE updates on the farmers' protest: On Wednesday, farmers from several states started up their "Delhi Chalo" march again. To stop any disturbances during the demonstration, heightened security is being implemented throughout the nation's capital in the interim. Following the fourth round of negotiations with Union Ministers on Sunday evening, farmer leaders from Punjab and Haryana had earlier called off the farmers' protest. The leaders had earlier issued a warning, saying that if their demands are not fulfilled by the Center by February 21, they will start their march back to Delhi.
Farmer Protest Key Hightlights:
1. Leaders of three states' agricultural organizations, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, began to demonstrate against the government, claiming that MSP was legally guaranteed.
2. There has been four rounds of negotiations thus far, but neither the central government nor the farmers have been able to find a compromise.
3. Following their fourth round of negotiations with Union ministers, farmers agreed to call off their protest until February 21 with the proviso that they would restart the march if their demands were not satisfied.
4. For over a week, authorities have erected barricades to keep protestors at least 200 km (125 miles) away from New Delhi; nonetheless, police claimed that heavy equipment present at Wednesday's event was meant to cause damage to the barricades.
