New Delhi, Indian farmers have decisively rejected a proposal from the Modi-led BJP government, which offered to purchase five crops at the minimum support price (MSP) for the next five years. The farmers, deeming the proposal insufficient for their needs, have announced plans to resume their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march tomorrow in protest.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (a non-political coalition) alongside the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), has voiced the collective decision to refuse the government’s offer. Dallewal emphasized that the proposal failed to meet the farmers’ interests, prompting the decision to continue the protest march starting Wednesday. Sarwan Singh Pandher, the convener of KMSC, reiterated the farmers’ demand for an MSP guarantee law that would cover all 23 crops for which the government annually declares MSPs.
Dallewal criticized the government’s proposal as superficial and stressed the importance of enacting a law to ensure MSP and guaranteed procurement for all 23 crops. He also highlighted the government’s lack of commitment to addressing other critical issues raised by the farmers, including loan waivers, halting electricity privatization, implementing a comprehensive public sector crop insurance scheme, providing a Rs 10,000 monthly pension for farmers over 60, and seeking the dismissal and prosecution of Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’ in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident where farmers were killed.
The agitation, As per Dallewal, is a constitutional right of the farmers and cannot be suppressed by force, as witnessed at the Punjab and Haryana borders. Both leaders also brought up concerns regarding the resumption of internet services in Punjab and alleged atrocities against farmers at the Sambhu and Khanauri barriers on the Punjab-Haryana border.
Furthermore, other farmers’ unions not involved in the negotiations have also rejected the government’s proposal. This development follows clashes at the Punjab and Haryana borders on February 13, which resulted in injuries to dozens of protesters. Despite ongoing discussions with the government, which have seen four rounds of talks, more than 10,000 farmers remain camped at the borders, facing a significant deployment of Indian security forces.
During a press conference on Monday, farmers’ leaders urged the Haryana government to allow their march to proceed to the national capital, where they seek to assert their rights and demands.