Shambhu, Punjab: A strong determination has prompted 101 farmers to start moving toward Delhi from the Shambhu border on December 14, resuming their struggle for the older demands again. This began in the background of recent frictions with the Haryana police that had led to pausing the march for a little while on December 9.
Demands of Farmers
The agitating farmers mostly constitute from Punjab and have a list of demands around which they are claiming the following points:
- Higher compensation for land acquisition under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency Act.
- Assurance of Minimum Support Price (MSP) against various crops.
- Clearing of pending dues for sugarcane farmers.
- Government initiatives to face the growing debt burden on the agricultural family.
All these demands correlate with the broader struggles that are occurring due to increasing inflation, delayed payments, and environmental challenges being faced by farmers across the length and breadth of the country.
Recent Developments and Police Action
The first march became a point of contention between the protesting farmers and the police at the Shambhu border where the agitating farmers were faced with head-on teargas shelling and water cannons.
Advanced police deployments have taken these measures to avoid farmers marching into Haryana. This, in turn, led into an interim detention in the area and disruption.
In an effort to prevent the troubling misinformation and deter close quarter confrontation, the Haryana government suspended mobile Internet and bulk SMS services in the affected areas until December 9. Despite these hurdles, farmer leaders have declared they shall continue their protests peacefully.
Farmer unions have reaffirmed their faith in conducting peaceful protests and said that they have the right to protest. The leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Ekta Ugrah, have vowed to widen the ambit of protests upon reaching Delhi. Farmers also wish to negotiate with the central government regarding their demands on grounds of protest.
The protest will be supported through joint efforts from various unions, and logistics are already being drawn up to ensure safety for the participants. This group of 101 farmers is intended to symbolize unity and determination while keeping in mind the lesser chance of disruption.
Reaction from State
So far, neither the Haryana government nor the central government has responded to the farmers’ renewed efforts. Haryana officials have taken pains to explain away the reason for police actions in view of maintenance of law and order.
However, opposition parties and several human rights organizations have condemned police inaction against peaceful demonstrators.
Support for the Movement
The farmers’ agenda has received immense backing from civil society organizations, student unions, and political leaders. Various social media platforms have been profusely pouring out messages of support, and trending hashtags regarding farmers’ demands have circulated on Twitter and Instagram platforms.
This march toward Delhi has again opened up the debate on the friction between farmers and government with respect to agricultural reforms and rural welfare policies. Experts believe the outcome of this march could make or break future actions from both farmers and policymakers.
Farmers’ march brings to the fore the issues of the right to protest over public safety, always an active debate in democracies. The next few days will be crucial for building a sustainable dialogue on whether the standoff will continue to deepen if dialogue fails to take off.
