At the Khanauri border, farmers have resorted to various inventive tactics to counteract potential police intervention during their ongoing protest, employing strategies ranging from using toothpaste masks to soaking clothes in water to shield themselves from police actions.
This border junction, linking Punjab and Haryana, has become a focal point for thousands of farmers who are preparing to embark on their journey towards Delhi. However, the 'Delhi Chalo' march, initially scheduled to proceed uninterrupted, was recently put on hold for two days, as announced by Sarwan Singh Pandher, the General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor.
Among the innovative methods adopted by farmers to evade police measures are the use of face shields, masks, and toothpaste applied as a deterrent against the effects of tear gas deployed by Haryana Police. Additionally, some farmers have been observed carrying dampened clothing to counteract the irritants emitted during police interventions, a tactic learned from prior confrontations.
Furthermore, farmers have devised tactics such as flying kites equipped with strings to disrupt police drone surveillance, previously utilized to disperse crowds using smoke canisters.
However, the police are equally equipped with their own measures to maintain order. They have erected physical barriers, including 6-foot-tall, barbed wire fences and multiple layers of police trucks and containers serving as roadblocks. Moreover, the deployment of heavy machinery such as excavators and customized tractors at protest sites serves as a warning to farmers against attempting to breach police barricades.
In response to farmers' attempts to advance towards Delhi, the Haryana Police resorted to firing tear gas shells to deter their progress, resulting in multiple rounds of tear gas shelling by Wednesday afternoon.
