New Delhi, July 21: Hundreds of farmers from Punjab were stopped by Haryana Police at the Shambhu border on Tuesday while marching towards Delhi to participate in a Kisan Mahapanchayat protesting the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement. The farmers later staged a demonstration at the border, alleging that authorities had denied them their democratic right to assemble peacefully.
Heavy security arrangements were put in place at the Punjab-Haryana border, where authorities erected multiple layers of barricades to prevent the marchers from entering Haryana. The security deployment resembled the extensive barricading seen during the “Delhi Chalo-2” farmers’ agitation in February 2024.
After being denied passage, the protesting farmers remained at the Shambhu border and accused both the Haryana and Punjab governments of suppressing their peaceful protest.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) leader Tezveer Singh alleged that Haryana Police had erected barricades within Punjab’s territory. He also criticised the Punjab government for remaining a “silent spectator” and failing to oppose the action.
Despite the restrictions imposed on Punjab farmers, farmer groups from Haryana, including participants from Ambala, Kurukshetra and nearby districts, continued travelling to Delhi to attend the Mahapanchayat.
The protest has been organised under the banner of the Desh Bachao Morcha, which has brought together several farmer organisations from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The groups are demanding that the Central Government withdraw the proposed India-US trade agreement, arguing that it could adversely affect India’s agriculture and allied sectors.
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said convoys belonging to the KMSC, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (Punjab chapter), Azaad Kisan Morcha and BKU Ekta Sangharsh had departed from different parts of Punjab before being stopped at the Shambhu border.
Pandher said a joint India-US statement issued in February 2026 outlined plans to negotiate the first phase of a multi-sector bilateral trade agreement by the fall of 2026. According to farmer organisations, the proposed agreement extends beyond conventional trade and may include agriculture, dairy, manufacturing, digital trade, e-commerce, investment, government procurement, intellectual property rights and the services sector.
Farmer leaders expressed concern that previous United States trade reports have consistently advocated greater access to India’s agricultural and dairy markets through lower tariffs and reduced import restrictions on products such as soybeans, maize, cotton, ethanol, apples, almonds, dairy products, poultry and fisheries.
They warned that increased imports of subsidised American agricultural and dairy products could significantly impact India’s small and marginal farmers, making it difficult for them to compete. They also criticised the lack of transparency surrounding the negotiations, alleging that key details of the proposed agreement have not been made public.
The organisations further noted that India’s dairy sector supports nearly 80 million rural families and cautioned that any adverse impact on the industry could affect dairy producers, small traders, agri-based businesses, food processors and other rural enterprises.
The Desh Bachao Morcha has urged the Central Government to release all documents related to the proposed India-US trade agreement and refrain from signing any pact until comprehensive consultations are held with farmers, dairy producers, workers, small traders and other stakeholders.
