How Delhi Chalo March Is Different From The 2020 Farmers Protests?
Farmers in India are currently protesting in what is being called “Farmers Protest 2.0” or “Delhi Chalo”.
This protest comes nearly two years after the previous farmers’ protest in 2020, which led to the repeal of three farm laws in 2021.
The main demand of the current protest is a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for all crops.
The farmers are protesting because they are unhappy with the new laws to protect the low-level farmers.
In the past, the protests have been big and sometimes violent, causing problems for people living in Delhi and businesses. This time, the protests are starting with fewer farmers and tractors
The previous protest was led by the Bhartiya Kisan Union and Samyukt Kisan Morcha, while the current protest is being spearheaded by different unions.
The leaders of the previous protest, such as Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni, are not at the forefront of the current protest.
During the previous protest, the government accepted the demand to withdraw all cases against the protesters, but there was no legal guarantee for the MSP.
This time, the government has already started negotiations with the farmer leaders before the protest began.
The current protest is facing more challenges than the previous one. The government has implemented strict security measures, including barbed wire, cement barricades, and roadblocks, to prevent the farmers from entering Delhi. The Haryana government has also closed its borders with Punjab.
The demands of the current protest include a legal guarantee for MSP, full debt waiver for farmers, pension for farmers, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s formula, and withdrawal of cases against farmers from the previous protest.
The farmers’ protest is a challenge for both Prime Minister Modi’s BJP and the INDI alliance. The protest comes just months before the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, and the government will have to address the demands of the farmers to gain their support.
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The current farmers’ protest in India is demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price for all crops and other measures to ensure the financial viability of farming.
The protest is being led by different unions and is facing strict security measures from the government. The protestors are assuming that the government will have to address their demands to gain their support in the upcoming elections.
