Farmers Protest 2024: An Overview

Thousands of farmers embarked on their “Delhi Chalo” protest march on Tuesday morning after the talks with Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Arjun Munda remained inconclusive on Monday evening. The meeting, the last hope for the union government, lasted for more than five hours but failed to cut ice with the farmers. Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh took to the streets demanding a legal guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) on their crops, implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, agricultural loan waivers, and pension for farmers, “justice” for the Lakhimpur Kheri victims, withdrawal of cases filed against farmers during the protests of 2020-21 and other demands. Security has been beefed up around the Singhu, Tikri, and Gazhipur borders to stop the farmers from entering the State capital. Traffic has come to an absolute standstill, and long queues of cars have lined up along the National Highways.

The meeting between the farmers Unions and the Union Ministers on Monday evening spanned for over 5 hours, but it failed to conclude demands that include a legal guarantee on the MSP, implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan commission, and agricultural loan waivers.

Key Demands of the protesting farmers:

• A law that guarantees the Minimum Support Price (MSP) on their produce.
• Implementation of the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission.
• Waivers on agricultural loans given to farmers.
• A pension scheme for farmers.
• Withdrawal of cases filed against the farmers during the 2020-21 protests.
• Compensation for the farmers who lost their lives during the Lakhimpur-Kheri violence.
• Repealment of the Electricity Act 2020.

While the Center has agreed to withdraw the cases filed against the farmers during the 2020-21 protests, provide compensation to the families of the farmers who lost their lives during the Lakhimpur-Kheri violence, and repeal the Electricity Act of 2020, they failed to reach a consensus on the others. “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," said Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee's Sarwan Singh Pandher after the meeting.

Security measures deployed by the authorities – Border points fortified:

Over 50,000 security personnel have been deployed around the Singhu, Tikri, and Gazhipur borders. Cement barricades have been put in place, and metal nails, barriers and barbed wires have been laid out to stop the tractors, trollies, busses and other vehicles. Internet and bulk SMS services have been suspended in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatebad and Sirsa.

The authorities on Sunday imposed Section 144 to keep the situation in check and prevent any untoward clashes ahead of the protests on Tuesday. All large public gatherings have been banned in Delhi till March 12.

The authorities have stopped entry of goods vehicles into Delhi via the Greater Noida Expressway. Goods vehicles travelling between Sirsa in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh's Surajpur and Parichowk have been rerouted.

Traffic brought to a standstill:

As per reports, long queues of cars have lined up along the Ghazipur and Chilla borders owing to the multiple traffic diversions in light of the farmers' protest. Movements of cars on the NH-48 have become slow. Multiple roads have been blocked and cars have been rerouted.​