More farmers join stir, uneasy calm prevails at Shambhu

Nitish Sharma

Ambala, February 18

An uneasy calm prevailed at the Shambhu border here today.

Farmer leaders, who have been camping at Shambhu border, said that they don’t want any confrontation with the security forces as their prime objective is to get their demands fulfilled.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) spokesman Tejveer Singh, said, “The farmers have been camping peacefully. We don’t want any confrontation with the security forces. So we have asked the activists not to move toward the barricades and ensure that the peaceful situation is maintained.”

“We have been holding discussions with farm activists here and handling the arrangements here as thousands of farmers are joining the protest daily,” he added.

While thousands of farmers continue to camp on the Punjab side of the Shambhu border, the heavy deployment of Haryana Police and the paramilitary forces, with strong barricading at Ghaggar bridge, continues to stand tall on the Haryana side.

A senior official in Ambala said the situation over the past two days has been better compared to the situation initially. Since protesters did not show much aggression, no action was taken by the security forces. Superintendent of Police Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said, “A close watch is being kept on the situation and all efforts are being made to ensure that law and order is not disturbed.”