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Why India’s farmers are back on the streets

Indian farmers

India’s farmers once again on the streets: ‘Barbed wires are not installed on the border of China or Pakistan but to stop farmers’

After the success of more than a year-long protest against the controversial agricultural reforms in India three years ago, farmers have once again given the slogan ‘Dilli Chalo’.

On the other hand, the government has sealed the Border of Delhi from all three sides, while the police have used tear gas on the marchers on the Border of Punjab and Haryana and the atmosphere there is tense.

After the failure of talks with the government earlier, thousands of farmers started their march from different parts of Punjab towards Haryana’s Shambhu border on Tuesday morning.

Talks between government officials and farmer leaders continued till late Monday night in the state capital Chandigarh to stop the farmers’ organisations from marching, but they did not prove to be successful.

Speaking to the farmers at the rally in Fatehgarh Sahib area of Punjab, BBC Hindi correspondent Abhinav Goel said that this time more people are with them than ever before and if tractors are in thousands, then people are in lakhs.

When a farmer was told about the obstacles, he said that the farmers know how to remove all kinds of obstacles and no one can stop them from going to Delhi.

Another farmer said, “They will either fulfill their demands or topple the Modi government as elections are coming up.” ‘

What are the farmers’ demands?
In 2020, farmers camped at Delhi’s borders for more than a year in protest against the controversial farm reform law.

The year-long protests, which killed dozens of people, were called off after the government agreed to repeal the laws.

Now farmers have once again taken to the streets as they say their main demands have not yet been met.

Farmers’ demands are that

The purchase of crops at MSP (Minimum Support Price) should be guaranteed and the government should issue a notification in this regard.
The report submitted by the Swaminathan Commission should be implemented.

Farmers should be given 50 percent profit on the cost of growing crops.
Farmers’ loans should be waived.
The cases registered against them during the farmers’ agitation should be withdrawn.
Under the government’s scheme MGNREGA, 200 days of work should be provided in a year and the daily wage should be increased to Rs 700.

Government tactics to stop the march
The movement was seen as one of the biggest challenges for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government as two rounds of talks between farmer union leaders and federal ministers have failed to break the deadlock.

In Delhi, police have sealed the borders on three sides of the city in an attempt to avoid the situation in 2020.

Meanwhile, while barricades are being put up to stop the farmers’ march, internet was also suspended in Haryana on Tuesday.

In response to allegations of farmers blocking traffic on the roads, one person said, “You can see that we are going from the side, those who blocked the road, the blame goes to them, we are all absolved of it.” ‘

If 32 farmer organisations from Punjab were involved in the protest three years ago, this time more than 50 unions are involved and more than 200 organisations from across the country are ready to march towards Delhi.

Speaking to the media after the failure of talks with farmers, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said, “Talks with farmer organisations were very serious. The government always wants every issue to be resolved through dialogue. That’s why we’ve come here. We came as representatives of the Government of India. ‘

“There were all the issues where we agreed, but there were some issues on which we said that there are a lot of related issues that we need to form a committee to find a temporary solution and we should present our views in it and find a permanent solution… We are still willing to talk,” he said. ‘

United Kisan Morcha convener Jagjit Singh Dhaliwal said the meeting went on for a long time and every demand was discussed.

“Let me make it clear that these were not demands. These were the promises that the government made to us in different periods. Instead of agreeing to them, the government says it will form a committee on it. ‘

Noise on social media
Farmers’ protest 2024 is trending on social media in India and users are sharing pictures of rallies and obstacles in their way.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav shared a picture of tractors crossing the river and wrote, “The BJP government is nailing the farmers’ movement, the truth is that the BJP government is hiding its shortcomings. The whole world is watching the repressive policies of the BJP. The BJP lost the path of democracy in the country and the barbed wire laid in the way of freedom tarnished the image of the country all over the world. ‘

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted poetically, “Barbed wire, tear gas from drones, nails and guns… everyone has the arrangement, the Modi government is reining in the voice of farmers. ‘

“In 10 years, the Modi government has broken three of its promises to food suppliers to the country. Now the time has come to raise the voice of 62 crore farmers. The farmers’ movement has our full support… The voice of unity will melt the iron nail. ‘

Many users posted pictures of barbed wire and wrote that they are not our border with China or Pakistan, but to prevent farmers from going to Delhi.

But in the midst of all this criticism, many people are calling the farmers participating in this march ‘rich and fake’ farmers, while many users are also angry that they are causing problems to ordinary citizens.

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