Delhi is preparing for a new round of protests by farmers' organisations, as members begin their march towards the capital on December 2. The protests are focused on demanding fair compensation and better benefits under new agricultural laws.
Sukhbir Khalifa, leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP), announced on Sunday that farmers will begin their march from under the Maha Maya flyover in Noida on December 2. The farmers will reach Delhi by noon and demand compensation and better benefits under the new agricultural laws.
The BKP’s march is part of a broader wave of protests, with other groups like the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) planning similar marches to Delhi starting on December 6. Additionally, farmer organizations in Kerala, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu will hold symbolic marches towards their respective state assemblies on the same day.
The Shambhu Border Blockade
Farmers who have been protesting at the Shambhu border (Punjab-Haryana border) since February 13 will also join the marches. These farmers were stopped from entering Delhi by security forces but continue their protests.
On December 6, they will march with others to Delhi. The first group of farmers, led by Satnam Singh Pannu, Surinder Singh Chautala, Surjit Singh Phul, and Baljinder Singh, will begin their peaceful march.
They will walk from 9 am to 5 pm daily and rest overnight along the route, stopping at places like the Jaggi city centre in Ambala, Mohra grain market, and Pipli in Haryana.
Key Demands
The protesting farmers have a list of demands, including:
- A legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops
- A farm loan waiver
- Pension for farmers and farm laborers
- No increase in electricity tariffs
- Withdrawal of police cases against farmers
- Justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence
- Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013
- Compensation for the families of farmers who died during the 2020-21 protests
Earlier in February, a delegation from the Union government, including Union ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai, met with the farmers. However, the talks ended without resolution, and the farmers rejected the Centre's proposal to buy pulses, maize, and cotton at MSP for five years.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), criticized the government for not resuming talks with farmers since the last negotiation round failed.
He reiterated the farmers' demand for a legal guarantee on MSP and rejected the concept of contract farming, which they find unacceptable.
The farmers remain determined to continue their protests and push for their demands to be addressed.
Follow us
