Delhi is gearing up for another round of farmer protests as several farmer organizations begin their march toward the national capital on Monday, December 2, according to ANI.
Sukhbir Khalifa, leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP), announced that the protest would commence from the Maha Maya flyover in Noida. “We will reach Delhi by noon to demand fair compensation and benefits under the new agricultural laws,” Khalifa told ANI.
In addition to BKP, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a non-political group, will begin their protests on December 6. Farmers from Kerala, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu will also stage symbolic marches to their state legislative assemblies on the same day.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, General Secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), confirmed that farmers camped at the Shambhu border (Punjab-Haryana border) since February 13 will join the protests on December 6. The first group, led by leaders Satnam Singh Pannu, Surinder Singh Chautala, Surjit Singh Phul, and Baljinder Singh, will march daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., stopping at designated points like Ambala, Mohra Grain Market, and Pipli in Haryana.
What Are Their Demands?
The protesting farmers have presented several key demands:
- Legally Guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops.
- Farm Loan Waiver to alleviate farmer debt.
- Pension for farmers and agricultural laborers.
- No Hike in Electricity Tariffs for agricultural use.
- Justice for Victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri Violence and withdrawal of police cases against protesters.
- Reinstatement of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act to protect farmers’ land rights.
- Compensation for the families of farmers who died during the 2020-21 protests.
Government Response
A delegation from the Union government, including ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai, had met with farmers on February 18, offering to purchase pulses, maize, and cotton at MSP for five years. However, farmer leaders rejected the proposal, demanding a permanent legal guarantee for MSP.
Pandher criticized the government for halting negotiations. “We reject contract farming. Our demand is a legal guarantee on MSP,” he stated, calling for the resumption of talks to address the farmers’ grievances.
As tensions rise, all eyes are on Delhi, where farmers are once again mobilizing to secure their rights and press for action on their long-standing demands.
