Delhi, Indian farmers initiated a day-long strike to voice their demands for higher crop prices, guaranteed minimum support prices, and loan waivers, among other grievances. The protest saw farmers walking off their fields, blocking highways, and staging sit-ins across northern India, with a significant number converging towards Delhi.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the strike involved thousands of farmers from northern states like Haryana and Punjab, who organized sit-ins near toll plazas and shut down several agricultural markets in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a leading farmer union, had called for this strike as a solidarity act, urging members to halt all farming activities and market visits.

The farmers’ key demand is for the government to legislate guaranteed minimum support prices for all agricultural produce, a promise they claim has been overlooked. The protests also call for the withdrawal of legal actions against farmers who participated in the 2021 protests and for the government to fulfill its loan waiver promises.

In light of ongoing negotiations with the government, the farmers have postponed a planned march to Delhi. Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a prominent figure among the protesting farmers, stated that while the protest remains peaceful, the march to the capital is on hold pending the outcome of discussions scheduled for Sunday. However, he warned of resuming the march if talks do not yield favorable results.

The farmers’ march towards Delhi earlier in the week was halted by police barriers, leading to the establishment of a protest camp at the Punjab-Haryana border. In response to the protests, authorities have taken measures such as suspending mobile internet services in certain areas, blocking social media accounts associated with the protest leaders, and deploying drones for crowd control.