With farmer protests simmering again on the Punjab-Haryana border just months away from the Haryana state assembly elections, some farmer unions are rallying support for a march to Delhi to push for long-pending demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP).
Farmer unions spearheading the ‘Delhi Chalo March’ are currently awaiting the Supreme Court’s order on the Haryana government’s petition after the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked the Haryana government to open the Shambhu border, which was closed in February this year to stop protesting farmers from moving from Punjab to Haryana.
“We are waiting for the Supreme Court’s order on the Shambhu border. Once it comes, we will hold meetings and strategise. We are not expecting any positive outcome from the committee proposed by the Supreme Court,” said Sarwan Singh Pandher of the Kisan Mazdur Sangharsh Committee.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday suggested Punjab and Haryana to set up committees to discuss farmers’ issues, stressing that there is an “issue of trust” between the government and farmers.
Meanwhile, the high court’s verdict has given impetus to farmers who are planning to launch a multi-pronged approach to revive their call for the Delhi Chalo March. The move comes at a time when elections are due to be held in Haryana within the next three months.
This further complicates matters for the state’s ruling BJP, which lost five of its 10 seats in the recent Lok Sabha elections and is facing a backlash from farmers, especially Jats. Most of the seats it has lost have been rural; even in urban seats, its winning margins have narrowed significantly.
The Bharatiya Janata Party appears to have realised that after losing five Lok Sabha seats to the opposition BJP, angering the farming community could hurt its chances of winning the next state elections. State governments have launched farmer support programmes to mitigate the political losses and strengthen the Congress’s rural base.
The majority of farmers belong to the dominant Jat community, which holds influence in 40 of the 90 seats in the parliament.
Farmers unions use multi-faceted approach to push demands
To give new vigour to their protests, farmer unions have met Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and conveyed a charter of demands to non-BJP legislators in Punjab and Haryana. They plan everything from holding mahapanchayats in Uttar Pradesh, Jind and Pipli (in Haryana) to tractor marches on August 15 and burning copies of the new penal code and effigies of the prime minister.
The Delhi Chalo March, which was launched in February this year by two prominent farmer unions from Punjab, has now garnered national attention. Two prominent farmer unions, including Kisan Mazdur Sangharsh Committee and BKU (non-political), which have been camping at the Shambhu border for the last five months, have found new life after the issue was taken up in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in addition to the Supreme Court.
Farmer unions are now planning to resume their protests. The Delhi Chalo March protests will mark its 200th day on August 31. The farmer unions leading the protests have called on farmers from Punjab and Haryana to reach the Kanori-Shambu border on the eve of the protests.
Farmer unions are scheduled to hold a massive rally in Uttar Pradesh on September 1, 2024, followed by two more rallies in Jind and Peepli in Haryana on September 15 and 22.
A group of 12 farmer leaders met Rahul Gandhi in Parliament. Gandhi discussed the demands raised by farmers with Indian Union leaders and promised to pressurize the Union government to enact a law on MSP. Farmer unions also plan to organise demonstration marches in support of a private bill brought by the Opposition. They have also announced that they will burn copies of the new Criminal Law Bill.
SKM’s stand is different from that of the seditionist bloc
Even as two separate farmer organisations have met with opposition leaders and planned protests, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the largest farmers’ alliance comprising around 40 unions, maintains that no large-scale centralised protests against the government are planned as of now.
Rakesh Tikait, a prominent farmer leader and national spokesperson for the Indian Farmers Union (BKU), declared, “We have sounded out a meeting to the central government and the opposition alliance and will send a formal invitation soon. We have decided to organise a tractor march in all districts across the country on August 9.”
The conflicting moves among farmer groups highlight the fragmentation of efforts to address grievances against the central government. While the SKM remains the largest organisation and represents a broad coalition, individual groups are forging their own paths. This fragmentation could weaken a unified stance or lead to diversifying methods of protest, allowing pressure on the government to be applied from multiple fronts.
Tikait’s remarks also refer to the political ambitions of some farmer leaders like Gurnam Singh Chadni, who are eyeing the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.
On this issue, Tikait drew a clear line and said, “Chaduni is not a part of SKM and they are free to take any action they wish. We will not be responsible towards them.”
This difference highlights significant divisions within the farmers’ movement and reflects different agendas and tactical approaches. The SKM has strengthened its core demands, particularly legal status for MSP and regulations on phasing out tractors. These demands have widespread support within the farming community and are essential to address the fundamental economic concerns facing farmers.
Haryana Government’s support for farmers
The BJP-led Haryana government, under the banner of the SKM, has now begun placating farmers who had recently met with Haryana government officials and raised the issue of legal guarantee for MSP.
The farmers have given an ultimatum to the Haryana government to address their demands by August 15, failing which they will continue their protests.
“We have decided to postpone our protest and hope that the government will come up with a solution by August 15. The future course of action if the issue is not resolved will be decided after August 15,” BKU Haryana president Ratan Maan said.
Farmer unions have submitted a 30-point charter of demands which also include a legal framework for MSP, early payment of pending crop damage compensation, discontinuance of online registration for crop procurement and streamlining the process of receiving crop loss compensation.
The farmers have told the government that compensation is yet to be fully paid to the districts affected by the Kharif floods of 2023. Interestingly, the Shambhu border issue was not discussed by the farmer unions of Haryana, who stuck to local issues only.
Modified tractors deployed at the Shambhu border
Farmer leaders said the future course of action would depend on the court’s orders. Their action may change if a committee of “neutral umpires” proposed by the Supreme Court is set to negotiate with the farmers and try to find an amicable solution to their demands. Several rounds of talks between farmer unions and the central government have failed.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government, Attorney General Tushar Mehta and Haryana Senior Additional Advocate General Lokesh Singhal informed the court that over 500-600 modified tractors, which resemble armoured tanks, are stationed at the Shambhu border and could pose a security problem if allowed across the border.
Farmer union activists currently camping at the Shambhu border are determined to continue the march. Farmer unions have also stated that they will move out in tractors once the court issues its order next week. Farmer unions have appealed to farmers to proceed up to Kanori and the Shambhu border and more tractors are expected to reach the Shambhu border from Punjab and Haryana.
