Farmers’ protest 2024 updates | ‘Delhi Chalo’ march put on standby till Feb 21 as leaders consider proposal

“It is unfortunate that drones are being used against farmers protesting against the Centre’s policies. The government is using drones to deter the farmers from holding protests. The Central government is dividing the people on caste, creed and communal lines,” eminent journalist P. Sainath said at a programme in Guntur on Sunday.

The MSP-based procurement by the FCI has been the bedrock of food security, but the case for its reform is strong. Surplus producers of grain have benefited from the MSP scheme, but the scheme bypasses subsistence farmers in poorer regions.

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With reports of police using pellet guns to stop farmers circulating on social media, Haryana Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur on February 18 said the police were using “minimum force” and denied the usage of pellet guns. 

The farmers were stopped by the Haryana Police as they prepared to march to Delhi, over 200 km away.

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Farmers on Monday asserted they will discuss the government’s proposal with domain experts and take a decision even as the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march is on standby for now. They added that the march would peacefully restart on February 21.

“We will discuss the proposals offered by the government with agriculture and legal experts besides farmers, and then take a call on it, and convey our decision to the Centre. As far as our Delhi march is concerned, we have put it on standby for now. On February 21, however, we will peacefully start our march. We will try that before we put our points before the government and discuss some remaining issues,” said farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

- Vikas Vasudeva

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) will hold protests in front of the houses of all NDA MPs on February 21 demanding that the agreements with the SKM made on December 2, 2021, at the time of withdrawing the farmers’ protests against three farm laws should be implemented immediately. 

In Punjab, where farmers from SKM-Non Political are on a rally towards Delhi, the SKM will hold day and night mass protests against MPs and MLAs belonging to the NDA camp. 

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As thousands of farmers attempt to march into Delhi yet again, from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, they are blockaded and tear-gassed at the borders by the police. The farmers believe the rural and industrial strike on February 16 will boost their voices in asking for a legally guaranteed minimum support price and fair government dealings.

Click here to read the ground report by A. M. Jigeesh

The protest has started to draw support from other farmer outfits and ‘khap’ panchayats as well. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of farmer unions that spearheaded the 2020-21 farmers’ protests against the Centre’s farm laws, as well as the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan), one of the largest outfits in Punjab, announced that they would hold day-and-night protests and demonstrations in front of the residences of BJP MPs, Ministers and MLAs in the State from February 20 to 22, and make all toll plazas “free” in support of the farmers’ demands.

The decision was taken in a meeting held in Ludhiana. The representatives of 34 organisations of the SKM (Punjab) out of 37 attended the meeting. The representatives of BKU (Ugrahan) also attended the meeting.