Farmer’s Protest: The country’s capital Delhi is once again ready to become a battlefield due to the conflict between farmers and the Centre. After the meeting of farmer leaders with Union Ministers remained inconclusive, farmers have announced ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. Farmers of Punjab have marched towards Delhi and are continuously clashing with the police on the Haryana border.
While last time the farmers were raising hue and cry against the government against agricultural laws, this time the farmers have taken to the streets with many demands including the issue of legal guarantee on MSP and loan waiver.
Farmers from Punjab marched to Delhi at 10 am on Tuesday, where fierce fighting was seen at Shambhu and Jind borders of Haryana. Clashes were seen several times between protesting farmers and Haryana Police on different borders. So let us know with what demands these farmers are marching to Delhi.
What are the demands of the farmers:
1. Legal guarantee on MSP i.e. minimum support price of crops.
2. Swaminathan Commission report should be implemented.
3. Farmers’ loans should be waived off.
4. Land Acquisition 2023 should be implemented again.
5. Strict action should be taken against the culprits of Lakhimpur Kheri case.
6. There should be a ban on free trade agreements.
7. Looting of land of tribals should be stopped by implementing Schedule 5 of the Constitution.
8. A National Commission should be formed for spices including chilli and turmeric.
9. Laws made for action against companies selling fake seeds and pesticides.
10. Under MNREGA, 200 days of work should be provided every year and wages of Rs 700 should be given.
11. The Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 should be repealed.
12. The cases registered against farmers during the farmers’ movement should be withdrawn.
On which issues was the consensus reached
– The Central Government has agreed to give compensation to the families of the farmers killed during the last farmers’ movement of 2020-21.
-The central government has agreed to withdraw the cases registered against farmers during the 2020-21 movement.
Actually, there was a meeting of farmer leaders with Union Ministers on Monday, but the Central Government had expressed its consent on some issues and had suggested a committee to resolve some issues. But the farmers are adamant on their demands. This is the reason why farmers are continuously moving towards Delhi. Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda attended this meeting along with Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal. He said that consensus has been reached on most of the issues and the government has proposed that the remaining issues be resolved through the formation of a committee. However, farmer leaders are not in favor of its solution through the committee. They want direct agreement on their demands from the government.
How are the preparations for the movement in Delhi?
Meanwhile, Delhi Police has imposed a lockdown under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the national capital for a month in view of the possibility of widespread tension and ‘social unrest’ due to the farmers’ march. Prohibitory orders have been imposed under this.
To prevent vehicles from entering Delhi, the borders of Delhi have been fortified by installing concrete barriers and iron spike barriers laid on the road. These measures affected the traffic movement in the border areas of Delhi on Tuesday morning, causing inconvenience to the passengers.
Police alert in Haryana too
Haryana officials have installed concrete barriers and iron nails and barbed wire on the state’s border with Punjab at many places in Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad and Kurukshetra to stop the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. Fortification has been done by installing wire.
Haryana government has also imposed restrictions in 15 districts under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). There is a ban on gathering of five or more people in these districts and there is a ban on holding any kind of demonstration or taking out march with tractor-trolley.
