Delhi, In a significant escalation of ongoing agricultural protests, Indian farmers demanding better compensation for their crops burned effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other ministers today. This act of defiance comes as part of a broader effort to amplify their grievances against the government’s agricultural policies, mere months ahead of crucial elections.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the protests took a more organized form last week with thousands of farmers initiating a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march towards the capital. However, their progression was halted approximately 200km north of Delhi by Indian security forces using water cannons and tear gas. This confrontation underscores the deepening rift between the agricultural community and the Indian government.
In response to the government’s actions, farmer leaders have unveiled plans for a series of “mega programmes” intended to pressure the authorities into meeting their demands. These events include observing today as a “Black Day,” conducting a tractor rally on the nation’s highways on February 26, and organizing a farm workers’ public meeting in Delhi on March 14.
The protests have seen widespread participation from farmers, particularly Sikhs from Punjab, symbolizing their resistance by hoisting black flags and adorning their turbans with black cloth. The effigy burning also targeted the Chief Minister of Haryana, blaming his administration for the aggressive police actions against the protesters. The demonstrators’ chants echoed their call for guaranteed minimum prices for their crops, a key issue driving the protest.
The situation took a grim turn with the death of a protester, leading to a temporary pause in the march. Punjab’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has since announced a substantial compensation for the deceased’s family, an offer that has been outright rejected by the farmer leaders demanding justice over monetary compensation. The leaders are now deliberating on the future course of their protest.
Amnesty International has voiced its concern over the protester’s death, calling on the Indian government to uphold the right to peaceful assembly. Aakar Patel, chair of the board at Amnesty International India, emphasized that “The price of protest must not be death,” highlighting the critical state of human rights within the context of these demonstrations.