All across the country, farmers have been continuing their agitation for a legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops. As part of this agitation, they have taken out tractor rallies in different district headquarters. The Central and state governments unleashed police repression against the agitating farmers, to prevent them from carrying out their protest rallies.
Punjab farmers have been carrying on a protest at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders, for nearly 13 months now. The dharna at these borders began on 13 February, 2024 when the Central government and Haryana government barricaded the Haryana-Punjab border at these places, to prevent farmers from marching to Delhi to raise their demands with the Central government. In the reign of terror unleashed against agitating farmers at that time, one farmer was killed, and hundreds suffered grave injuries.
Since 26 November, 2024, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border dharna site, demanding fulfilment of the long-standing demands of farmers, including legal guarantee of MSP for all crops. On 5 March, his fast completed 100 days. All over the country, farmers as well as broad masses of working people are extremely angry with the Central government for not addressing their just demand for MSP for all crops.
Faced with the farmers’ persistent struggle, the Central government has been forced to put on a show of concern for the farmers. It has begun discussions with Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Sarwan Singh Pandher, and other leaders leading the kisan morcha at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders. The Punjab government has also been involved in these talks. The next round of talks between the Central government and these farmer leaders is slated for 19 March.
Meanwhile, 37 farmer organisations of Punjab planned a week-long protest action beginning 5 March, in Chandigarh, demanding legally guaranteed MSP for all crops, and fulfilment of their other demands. When the farmers began their march to Chandigarh from different towns and villages of Punjab, the Punjab police prevented them from proceeding further. Hundreds of farmers and their leaders, including Joginder Singh Ugrahan, President BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), were arrested. At various places, farmers prevented the police from arresting their leaders. The police had set up nakas on state and national highways leading to Chandigarh. They used sand tippers to create road blockades and thwart any attempt by the farmers to break the barricades. At some places, water cannons were deployed. Across Punjab, thorough frisking of vehicles was carried out to ensure that no protester reached Chandigarh. The borders of the Union Territory of Chandigarh were sealed by multiple-layered barricades. Farmers were detained on the Patiala-Hisar Road, Chandigarh-Sangrur Road at Bhawanigarh, Gharachon, Hedon in Samrala, Chuharchak, Talwandi, Majari, Sirhind, Chunni, Balachaur, Banga, Phillaur-Nakodar Road and Beas. Wherever farmers were stopped by the police, they began a dharna on the road. Such dharnas were held in at least 28 places in Punjab. The farmers will decide on the next course of action at a meeting of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha to be held in Ludhiana on March 7.
Meanwhile, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, which is one of the organisations spearheading the agitation at Khanauri and Shambhu borders for the past 13 months, organised the burning of effigies of the Punjab government in 18 districts, as a show of support to the farmers organisations who were prevented from marching to Chandigarh.
Buta Singh Burjgill, a farmer leader, declared: “We are not allowed to go to our state capital to exercise our right to protest. Chief Minister Mann seems to be hand in glove with the Modi government and wants to crush the farmers’ voice.” Farmers have warned the Punjab government that it does not have enough space in its jails, if the farmers of Punjab decide to court arrest to protect the democratic rights of the people.
Earlier, on 3 March, the Chief Minister of Punjab held discussions in Chandigarh with a delegation of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on their charter of demands, including legally guaranteed MSP for all crops. According to news reports, the Chief Minister insisted that the farmers withdraw their proposed march to Chandigarh and the planned weeklong protest in the state capital. When the farmer leaders refused to do so, the Chief Minister walked out of the meeting, attacking farmers for converting the state into a “state of dharnas”. Permission was refused to the farmers’ organisation to hold a protest dharna in Chandigarh from 5 March. Chandigarh Police put up barricades at the Chandigarh-Mohali border points to prevent protesting farmers from entering the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.