Farmers’ Delhi Chalo Protest May Escalate as Centre Rejects Confirmed MSP; Further Talks Planned
Image Source: The Economic Times
Yesterday, farmers from the non-political factions of Samyukta Kisan Morcha & Kisan Mazdoor Morcha marched towards Delhi for their demands after their talks with the government did not materialize. There were some minor scuffles which resulted in conflicts with tear gas and water cannons on the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu border. Reportedly, around 10 thousand farmers joined the protests despite the government’s ban on gatherings. Authorities had secured Punjab-Haryana borders, and areas like Ambala, Kurukshetra, and Sirsa saw heavy barricading & barbed wire. Videos of spikes being laid all over around the Ghazipur border also surfaced to prevent farmers from entering Delhi.
“More than 60 farmers have been injured in the clashes that happened yesterday, “said K.V Biju, a senior leader of the SKM-NP, and around 24 police personnel were also injured in stone pelting, according to a senior police officer to The Hindu. The SKM urged to stop the conflict and asked NP-SKM to join their cause and support the industrial strike and Gramin Bharat Bandh on February 16.
While both parties found a middle ground with several demands like the repealment of the Electricity Act 2020, compensation to farmers killed in Lakhimpur-Kheri, and retraction of cases against farmers during the 2020 protests, their prime contentions on the MSP price guarantee, loan waivers & implementation of the Swaminathan commission suggestions were declined.
Amidst all this, there were false claims of advanced tractors modified to resist tear gas and shells, AI images were circulated around X and by OPIndia implying questions like who are supporting & funding the protests.
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee member Sarwan Singh said to NDTV, “Two years ago, the government had promised to meet half of our demands in writing; we wanted to resolve the issue peacefully but the government is not sincere. They just want to waste time” referring to the promises made to the farmers two years ago when the government yielded to farmers’ demand for the withdrawal of the 3 farm bills which aimed at corporatizing the agricultural sector by bringing in corporate players in the field.
On a positive note, the government has extended another round of talks, likely to be held today as previous two failed, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said “a law guaranteeing MSP can’t be brought in a hurry without consulting all stakeholders” as farmers agree for the talks. Jagjit Singh, leader of the SKM (non-political faction) said “we took permission with our friends and now we will hold talks with the government, our priority is that they are held anywhere near the protest site.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked PM, in a post on X he said “PM Modi who cultivates lies day & night, has only cheated farmers in the past 10 years. Promising doubling of their income, Modi also made farmers struggle for MSP. Due to them not getting fair priced for their crops and burdened with inflation, farmers debt increased by 60%. As a result about 30 farmers lose their lives every day.” Further, he spoke with an injured farmer and called the action “a dictatorial attitude.”
Although several BJP leaders expressed calm on the protests saying they would “expose the illogicality of the demand for a law to guarantee MSP for all crops, there is no logic in making a demand for a law now, it would have made sense had they protested after the new government formed.” Another party leader from UP told the Indian Express that “BJP’s confidence about the minimized impact of protests stems from the alliance of RLD led by Jayant Chaudhary, the Jat patriarch will defuse anger among Jat farmers, if any. The party does not see a potential in the current agitation to have similar impact.”
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