Understanding Farmer’s Protest 2.0: What’s Driving Farmers to Prepare for Protests and What Are Their Demands?

Farmers’ Protest: Farmers have once again started protesting in the country. This time farmers from two parts of the country have decided to take to the streets. This includes Annadata of Punjab-Haryana and farmers of Noida-Greater Noida. While the farmers of Noida-Greater Noida ended their protest after the assurance from the government, the farmers of Punjab-Haryana have raised issues like Minimum Support Price (MSP). Preparations have also been made for a large scale demonstration.

Punjab Haryana farmers have announced to take out a march to Delhi on 13 February. The administration also seems worried as farmers have been warned to take to the streets once again. Concern has increased whether the performance in 2020-21 will be repeated once again.

The biggest concern of the government is about the farmers of Punjab and Haryana, which is why ministers have been sent to meet them urgently. In such a situation, let us know why the farmers are protesting and what are their demands. 

What is the demand of farmers? 

Farmers of Punjab-Haryana are demanding from the government that they should be guaranteed MSP, farmers should be given pension facility and crop insurance should be given. The most important demand is that the cases against those who were registered during the farmers’ protest in 2020, should be cancelled.

Apart from this, farmers have demanded that the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission should be implemented and justice should be provided to the victims killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. 

Farmers say that the Central Government had promised them while withdrawing the three agricultural laws that they would be given legal guarantee of MSP. However, now the government is not doing this due to corporate pressure.

Apart from this, the farmers protesting in Noida demanded that they should be given increased compensation and developed plots in return for acquiring their agricultural land through local development authorities for infrastructure and other projects. 

Who is leading the farmers? 

United Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are leading the protests in Punjab-Haryana. More than 200 farmer unions are involved with these two organizations. This time the United Kisan Morcha is also not actively participating in the protest and has not made its stand clear.

The Khap of the Jat community has also not shown much interest in the protest this time. However, even after this the government does not want to take any risk. 

What have the farmers said? 

Farmer organizations have said that if their demands are not met, they will take out a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march with more than 200 farmer unions on February 13 to put pressure on the Center to accept them. They said that the journey towards Delhi will be done through tractor-trolleys. It has also been reported that farmers of Punjab-Haryana have started collecting wheat and other food items from villages, which shows their intention to camp for a long time. 

What has happened so far and what will happen next? 

The central government has come into action on behalf of Punjab-Haryana farmers after the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. First of all, the government sent three Union Ministers to Chandigarh, who could stop the march by going there and talking to the delegation of farmers’ organization.

Junior Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, Junior Home Minister Nityanand Rai and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal spoke to the farmers’ delegation on the evening of February 8 and explained and assured them not to protest. 

However, this meeting did not yield any results and the farmers said that they would continue their march. Keeping this in mind, security has been increased on the border of Punjab-Haryana.

While the border alert was increased in Punjab, the Haryana government banned mobile internet services and the service of sending multiple SMS in seven districts. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that this decision of the Haryana government has been opposed by the farmers.  

On Saturday, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the Center has invited them on February 12 to discuss their demands. The farmer leader said that three Union ministers – Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai – will reach Chandigarh on February 12 to hold talks with the delegation of United Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. The demands raised by the farmers will be put forward in this meeting.