With salt and goggles, protesting farmers brace for tear gas shelling by police

Farmers are all set to resume their 'Delhi Chalo' march on Wednesday, after talks with the central government failed to resolve their concerns.

Thousands of protesters, who began the march to Delhi on February 13, were stopped at the Punjab-Haryana border, at the Shambhu and Khanauri points. Haryana Police resorted to tear gas, pellet guns and barricades to block the farmers from crossing the border. Several protesters and security personnel were injured during the resulting clashes.

But this time, the farmer unions have doubled down on their resolve to march to Delhi, and have taken several precautions.

Footage from the protest site showed volunteers distributing salt, known to relieve eye irritation caused by tear gas, among protesters. Several farmers were seen sporting swimming goggles and masks to protect them from the tear gas shelling.

Several bulldozers have been brought in as reinforcements to the farmers' procession of tractors, cars and mini-buses.

Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapoor, in an urgent communication to his Punjab counterpart Gaurav Yadav on Tuesday, asked Punjab Police to seize all bulldozers and earthmoving equipment acquired by farmers camping at the state border.

"It is reliably learnt that heavy earthmoving equipment including proclain (digger), JCB etc., that have been further modified/armour-plated have been acquired by protesting farmers and have been deployed at the border locations where the protesters are camping right now.

"These machines are meant to be used by the protesters to damage the barricades thereby posing serious danger to the police and paramilitary forces deployed on duty and is likely to compromise the security scenario in Haryana," Kapoor said in his communication.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher targeted the Centre ahead of the march for using force to block protesters' entry into the national capital.

"When we moved towards Delhi, shelling happened...Bullets were also used on the tyres of the tractors...DGP Haryana has said that they are not using tear gas on farmers...We demand punishment for those using it then," he said.

In an apparent warning, Pandher said, "The government will be responsible for whatever happens now."

Also Watch: Farmers gear up to resume Delhi march, Haryana asks Punjab cops to seize bulldozers