Another round of farmers’ protest
New Delhi: Farmer organizations have criticized the government for failing to engage in discussions with protesting farmers to address their grievances following the unsuccessful previous negotiations. Delhi is preparing for another wave of protests organized by farmers’ groups. Members are set to commence their march towards the national capital on Monday, December 2, as reported by news agency ANI.
Sukhbir Khalifa, a leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP), announced on Sunday that the march towards Delhi will begin on Monday, with demands for equitable compensation and improved provisions under the new agricultural legislation. “We are prepared to initiate our march towards Delhi. On December 2, we will commence from beneath the Maha Maya flyover in Noida, aiming to arrive by noon to assert our claims for compensation and benefits in accordance with the new laws,” Khalifa stated to ANI.
The BKP’s march will coincide with similar demonstrations by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM, non-political), whose members are scheduled to start their march to Delhi on December 6. Additionally, farmer organizations in Kerala, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu will conduct symbolic marches towards their respective legislative assemblies on the same date.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), indicated that farmers protesting at the Shambhu border (Punjab-Haryana border) will join the other groups on December 6. These farmers have been stationed at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13, when their attempts to march towards Delhi were thwarted by security forces stationed at the capital’s borders.
The initial “jatha” of farmers will be led by prominent leaders Satnam Singh Pannu, Surinder Singh Chautala, Surjit Singh Phul, and Baljinder Singh. This group will carry essential supplies and will march towards Delhi in a “peaceful” manner. The farmers plan to walk daily from 9 am to 5 pm and will spend the nights outdoors, making stops at the Jaggi city centre in Ambala, the Mohra grain market, Khanpur Jattan, and Pipli in Haryana.
What are their demands?
In addition to a legally mandated Minimum Support Price (MSP), the farmers who are protesting have put forth several demands, including a waiver of farm loans, pensions for both farmers and agricultural laborers, a freeze on electricity tariff increases, the withdrawal of police cases, and justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri incident. They are also calling for the reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 and compensation for the families of farmers who lost their lives during the previous agitation in 2020-21.
On February 18, a delegation from the Union government, which included Union ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai, engaged in discussions with the protesting farmers. However, the farmer leaders subsequently rejected the Centre’s offer to have government agencies purchase pulses, maize, and cotton at the MSP for a duration of five years.
Pandher criticized the Centre for failing to engage in further discussions with the protesting farmers since the last negotiations ended unsuccessfully. “They have ceased talks with us. We do not accept contract farming. Our demand is for a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops,” he stated.
