- Farmers, led by Sarwan Singh Pandher, are marching to Delhi to protest the proposed India-US trade deal, fearing harm to local agriculture.
- The Haryana government accepted farmers' demands to release detained leaders and arrange a meeting with the Union Agriculture Minister.
- The protest remains peaceful despite police blocking the route, with farmers planning next steps after reaching Delhi.
As farmers began their 'Desh Bachao Morcha' march towards Delhi from Gurudwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib to protest against the proposed India-US trade deal, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher held talks with Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana.
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Ambala was also present during the meeting. The minister accepted the farmers' memorandum, which outlined two key demands, and assured them that both would be addressed.
#WATCH | Shambhu Border (Punjab-Haryana border): Ajay Singh Tomar, DC, Ambala says, "Highly respected union leaders are present here, and we have held discussions with them under the leadership of the Agriculture Minister. They had two main demands: first, to secure a meeting… https://t.co/u0OtWkyFsd pic.twitter.com/TJrjac7jVW
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2026
Pandher said the farmers' primary demand is the cancellation of the proposed India-US trade agreement.
The first demand was the release of farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni, while the second was to facilitate a meeting between the farmers and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
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Speaking after the meeting, Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana said the government had accepted both demands. He assured the farmers that Gurnam Singh Chaduni would be released soon and said a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would be arranged within the next week.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, "The Haryana Agriculture Minister accepted our memorandum. When we requested him to arrange a meeting with Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he assured us that the necessary arrangements would be made. He informed us that his office would send us a confirmation letter within 8 to 10 days regarding the meeting. The dialogue will move forward from there.
"The outcome of the meeting is a separate matter. We also demanded the release of all detained farmer leaders and farmers. The officials said that after consulting the chief minister, they would release Gurnam Singh Chaduni and BM Singh. Both of these demands have been accepted. Once they are released, we will discuss the matter and decide the future course of the protest, including whether to continue the sit-in here or proceed further only after the talks."
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Why are farmers protesting again?
Farmers from Punjab began their march towards Delhi on Tuesday to protest against the proposed India-US trade deal. A large number of protesters reached the Shambhu border, where they were stopped by the Haryana police. Farmers had started assembling in Fatehgarh Sahib and Khanauri on Monday night ahead of the march.
The protesters oppose the proposed India-US trade agreement, arguing that it could open Indian markets to cheaper American imports, including soybeans, dry fruits, dairy products, and grains. They contend that such imports would intensify competition, hurting small farmers, agricultural labourers, and local traders.
At around 6 am on Tuesday, farmers led by Sarwan Singh Pandher, coordinator of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha, left Fatehgarh Sahib for Delhi in buses, jeeps, minibuses, and private vehicles. Earlier, at around 5:30 am, the Haryana Police barricaded the highway at the Shambhu border, bringing traffic to a complete halt in both directions.
Pandher said the farmers would not initiate any confrontation during the march and that the next course of action would be decided by farmer leaders after reaching their destination. He also said the Haryana government's decision to seal the Shambhu border had caused inconvenience to the public, calling it regrettable. If the farmers were not allowed to proceed beyond the Shambhu border, he said, they would stage a peaceful sit-in on the highway until 4 pm.
He also appealed to Members of Parliament from Punjab and across the country to raise the issue during the ongoing Monsoon Session.
Meanwhile, in Kurukshetra, Gurnam Singh Chaduni was detained in Pehowa, while Rakesh Bains and Krishna Kalal Majra were detained in Shahabad.
In Kaithal's Pundri, Vikram Kasana and Gurnam Farl were taken into custody. In Sirsa's Dabwali, Gurmel Singh and Bhupinder Singh Vaidwala were also detained.
The farmers' agitation has intensified amid concerns over the proposed bilateral trade agreement, with protesters maintaining that the inclusion of the agriculture and dairy sectors could adversely affect domestic farmers and undermine their livelihoods.