A day after inconclusive talks with Centre brought utmost disappointment, Thousands of farmers from the state of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh backed by hundreds of Unions are marching towards Delhi. Amid tight security and massive barricading, the protesters are being prevented by the police from entering the national capital. This is the second such protest called for by the farmers in India after 2020.
While the demands were more or less the same, here is all that you need to know between the difference in the nature of agitation that took place in 2020 and Farmers Protest 2024.
Farmers' agitation: 2020 vs 2024
In 2020, the farmers protested against the three farm laws which were repealed by the central government after one year in 2021.
Through the 'Delhi Chalo' march this time, the farmers have made the following demands:
Legal guarantee to MSP for all crops
Full debt waiver for farmers
Pension for farmers
Implementation of Swaminathan Commission's formula
Withdrawal of cases against farmers during the 2020 protest
Secondly, the 2020 protest was led by Bhartiya Kisan Union, and Samyukt Kisan Morcha.
On the other hand, Delhi Chalo protest is being headed by a series of different unions. The change mainly because the dynamics of farmers' unions has transformed to a great extent over two years. This time, the lead of the Delhi Chalo March has taken by a non political group called the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
This time, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, leader of SKM (non-political), and Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of Sarwan Singh Pandher are appearing to be the prominent names in Chalo Delhi agitation. Back in 2020, the key leaders that impacted the protest were Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni.
Most importantly, this time, so far the talks have been inconclusive with Centre not giving into demands of the farmers. In 2020, Government of India accepted the farmers' demand to withdraw all cases against the protesters registered during the 2020 agitation. However, there was no legal guarantee of MSP. Farmers were allowed to enter the nation's capital in 2020, but this time the administration has implemented stringent preventative measures.
Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border witnessed chaotic scenes
The Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border witnessed chaotic scenes on Tuesday as the protesting farmers marching towards Delhi attempted to break police barricades. Farmers were seen attempting to remove the cement barricade with their tractors as they tried to cross the Shambhu border.
The police fired tear gas to disperse the protestors at Punjab-Haryana Shambhu Border as they tried to breach the mutli-layered barricades.
The police have deployed concrete slabs, iron nails, barricades, barbed wires, police and paramilitary personnel at Kurukshetra in Haryana in view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march by the farmers. On security deployment at the Jharoda border, DCP Dwarka Ankit Singh said, "Section 144 CrPC is imposed in the city, tractor trolleys are not allowed in the city. Social media monitoring has also been done. Drone is an effective tool for security monitoring, we will use it."
