Farmers are going to start the Delhi Chalo protest again on February 21

Farmers are going to start the Delhi Chalo protest again on February 21

Protesting farmers on Monday rejected the central government's plan to procure dal, maize, and cotton at low prices for 5 years through government agencies, saying it was not in the farmers' interest and said they would resume the Delhi Salo Rally. National Capital on Wednesday, February 21.

Speaking to reporters, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Bander said, "We appeal to the government to resolve our issues or remove barriers and allow us to protest peacefully in Delhi."

During the fourth round of discussions with farmer leaders on Sunday, a group of three Union ministers suggested the government's idea to buy pulses, maize, and cotton crops at MSP for five years, subject to an agreement with farmers.

On Monday, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the main group leading the 2020-21 farmers' protest, rejected the government's proposal. They stated that the proposal aimed to divert and weaken their demand for MSP. The farmers affirmed their strong dedication to nothing less than the 'C-2 plus 50 per cent' formula for MSP, as suggested in the Swaminathan Commission report.

Why Farmers Said No to the Government's Five-Year Proposal: The Reasons Explained

Farm leaders said the government's proposal didn't include a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). This made farmers worry about the continuing uncertainty of their income, fearing possible exploitation without a strong assurance on MSP.

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the leader of a farmer forum, explained that a detailed examination of the government's proposal showed it didn't offer significant benefits for farmers. The proposal didn't tackle the broader concerns and requests presented by the farming community.

Farm leaders felt the government wasn't willing to have meaningful discussions, so they emphasized the importance of resolving issues through dialogue. When the government appeared unresponsive to this idea, the farmers insisted on being permitted to march towards Delhi. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, "The government's intention was clear – they wouldn't let us enter Delhi at any cost... If they don't want to find a solution by talking to farmers, then we should be allowed to march towards Delhi... As we moved towards Delhi, there was shelling, and bullets were used on the tractors' tires."

The refusal was grounded in the belief that the government's focus, like importing palm oil, didn't match the farmers' needs. Farmer leaders suggested that the funds used for these imports could be better used to help farmers grow oilseed crops, thereby boosting domestic production.

During the march towards Delhi, the farmers expressed their displeasure with the government's attitude. They said shelling and using bullets in tractor tires showed unwillingness to engage in peaceful dialogue. This further fueled distrust between the farmers and the government, with demands for punishment for those using force.

Farmer leaders said the government's proposal was trying to shift focus away from the main concerns raised by the farmers. The refusal indicated that farmers believed the government was not truly interested in resolving the crisis through meaningful discussions.

Farmers' Key Demands

On February 13, Punjabi farmers marched towards Delhi and were stopped by security forces at Shambu and Kanauri points on the Punjab-Haryana border, protesting to pressure the central government to fulfill their demands. These include implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations, pension for farmers and laborers, loan waiver for farmers, control of electricity tariff hike, withdrawal of police cases, justice, and reinstatement of 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence victims. Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the previous agitation in 2020-21.

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