Farmers with the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha gathered at the Shambhu border and marched toward Delhi to oppose a proposed India-US trade deal.
The protests signal growing anxiety among rural workers that international trade agreements could dismantle domestic protections for the agriculture and dairy sectors. Farmers said that opening these markets to U.S. competition would threaten their livelihoods and destabilize the rural economy.
Led by Sarwan Singh Pandher, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha organized the mobilization at the Shambhu border, located on the Punjab-Haryana state line [1]. During the demonstrations, protesters burned effigies of Prime Minister Modi and U.S. President Trump to voice their opposition [1]. The group said they demanded formal assurances that the interests of Indian farmers would be protected in any final trade agreement [2].
To prevent the march from reaching the capital, police sealed the Shambhu border [3]. Reports vary on the exact timing of the blockade; some sources indicate the protests began Wednesday, June 24, 2026 [1], while others state the Haryana government sealed the border on Tuesday, June 25, 2026 [4].
The farmers' movement seeks to prevent the implementation of terms that they said would harm the domestic dairy industry [2]. By marching toward Delhi for a mahapanchayat, the group intended to bring direct pressure on the central government to renegotiate or scrap the proposed deal [3].
Despite the border closures, the mobilization reflects a persistent tension between India's goals for global trade expansion and the socio-economic stability of its farming population [1]. The KMM continues to call for a trade policy that prioritizes local producers over foreign imports [2].
“Farmers said that opening these markets to U.S. competition would threaten their livelihoods.”
This escalation highlights the volatility of India's agricultural policy when intersected with foreign diplomacy. The sealing of the Shambhu border suggests the government is prioritizing the containment of civil unrest over dialogue, while the farmers' focus on the U.S. trade deal indicates a fear that neoliberal trade shifts will repeat the disruptions seen in previous agrarian crises.
