The Delhi Traffic Police have issued an advisory ahead of the farmers' Delhi Chalo march on Tuesday, February 13. Earlier, prohibitory orders were imposed in several areas over the weekend and thousands of police officials were deployed.
The call for the march came from the farmers of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh with over 200 known unions heading to the national capital on Tuesday. Earlier on Monday, the unions had an inclusive discussion with Union Ministers, but there was a lack of clarity on the legal guarantees for the minimum support price (MSP).
The Delhi Chalo march will commence at 10 am but the Haryana borders with Delhi and Punjab have been fenced by the state government to restrict the movement of protesters. The march comes nearly two years after the 2020-21 farmers' protest.
Let us take a look at how the current farmers’ protest is different from that of the one in 2020.
Why Delhi Chalo March
In 2020, farmers across the country, with the largest protest at Delhi borders, demonstrated against the Centre's three laws -- The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.
However, the ongoing Delhi Chalo march demands a legal guarantee to MSP for all crops, implementation of Swaminathan Commission's formula, full debt waiver for farmers, and pension for farmers and labourers. It also demands the withdrawal of cases against farmers for the 2020-21 protest.
Key leaders
Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni, the two prominent names of the farmers' 2020 protest, are nowhere to be seen in the Delhi Chalo protest. Jagjit Singh Dallewal, leader of SKM (non-political), and Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), are at the forefront of it.
The Delhi Chalo protest has been led by 250 farm unions, including the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), a platform of 150 unions.
Security measures
While the farmers could enter the national capital back in 2020, this time the administration has put in place strict measures to deny them entry. The borders have been barricaded with concrete, barbed wire, and nails on the road. Besides, Section 144 has also been imposed.
Response
Unlike the 2020 protest, the government, this time, has responded with the negotiation process even before the protest began. The first meeting was held between the farm leaders and the Union Ministers on February 8, while the second discussion took place on Monday, February 12.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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