Farmers participating in the Delhi Chalo protest march flew kites on Wednesday, February 14 to strike down the drones deployed by the Haryana government equipped with tear gas shells at Shambhu border. The method involves farmers flying the kites near the drones so that the strings of the kite entangle the machine, which would eventually result in it crashing.
The Haryana government had also blocked the National Highway leading to New Delhi, along its borders with Punjab, and fired tear gas and water cannon at the farmers, who had urged the Union government to fix a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, among other demands.
In order to protect themselves from the tear gas, the farmers used water bottles, wet clothes, and even protective gear. Haryana police reportedly became the first police force in the country to deploy drones for launching tear gas on Wednesday, February 14. According to The Hindu, the unmanned aerial vehicles used to launch the tear gas was developed in 2022 by the Border Security Force (BSF) but was not sold to any state police.
The Haryana government blocked several stretches of the National Highway to prevent the farmers from entering Delhi. Many farmers were detained and their tractors were seized. Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda had stressed the importance of constructive dialogue and urged them not to disrupt normal life. Earlier, a meeting between the farmer union leaders and Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Arjun Munda did not yield any result.
Speaking to the media, a farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said they were ready for talks and criticised the Union government's approach towards the protest. He also alleged that the government was prioritising corporate interests over the demands of farmers.