In the latest development of the ongoing farmers’ protest, more than 200 farmer unions from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have initiated the “Delhi Chalo” march, starting at 10 am. This follows inconclusive talks between farmer leaders and Union ministers on Monday night, where Union minister Arjun Munda mentioned consensus on most issues and proposed a committee to address the remaining concerns. One major demand lacking clarity is the legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP).
Distinguishing the current protest from the 2020 movement, farmers are now demanding a legal guarantee for MSP, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s formula, full debt waiver, pension for farmers and laborers, and withdrawal of cases against farmers from the 2020-21 protests.
Unlike the 2020 protest led by figures like Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni, this time the movement is spearheaded by different unions, including the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. Leaders like Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher are now at the forefront.
In a departure from the previous protest, the government has taken stringent pre-emptive measures to impede the farmers’ march. Barbed wire, cement barricades, and road obstacles have been set up, and all roads leading to Delhi have been blocked. Section 144 has been imposed in Delhi, and the Haryana government has sealed its borders with Punjab.
The government initiated the negotiation process even before the farmers’ march, with meetings on February 8 and February 12. While reports suggest the government accepted the demand to withdraw cases against farmers from the 2020-21 agitation, there is no legal guarantee for MSP as of now. The administration’s goal is to prevent a reoccurrence of the scale witnessed during the 2020-21 protests.
