Govind Tekale
Farming has become a losing enterprise. That is why farmers are protesting all over the world. India is not an exception. The farmers’ groups in Noida and Greater Noida have been in protest since December 2023. Their demands are hiked compensation and developed plots against their land acquired by the local development authorities in the past. The farmers have proposed a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 13.
Haryana Police has deployed 50 companies of central paramilitary forces to maintain law and order in the state. The police have asked the farmers not to participate without permission in the planned march on February 13, 2024. The SKM (Samyukta Kisan Morcha) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by more than 200 farmers’ unions on Tuesday to press the Center for accepting several demands. The demands included the enactment of a law to guarantee an MSP (Minimum Support Price) for crops. However, the SKM, which had spearheaded the 2020 farmers’ stir against the now-repealed farm laws, was not part of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march call.
A 3-member team of Union ministers held a meeting with the leaders of farmer organizations Thursday evening. After the meeting, the farmer leaders said the Central ministers assured them that they would hold a second meeting soon. However, the protesting farm leaders were firm on the Feb 13 march.
Modi government is silent on MSP, according to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. He said that the MSP should be based on the ‘Swaminathan formula’. He said that 700 farmers were martyred during the farmers’ movement due to the rigid stand of the Modi government. The Center has released about 15,948 crore Rs to sugar mills, which is beneficial to sugarcane-growing farmers.
The Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that any attempt to withdraw the MSP would jeopardize the food security of the country. Meanwhile, Noida police propose a high-power committee to address the traffic jam in Delhi, caused by the farmers’ agitation. The dialogue between farm leaders and government is continuing.
The announcement of the award of Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award to Chaudhary Charan Singh and Dr. M.S. Swaminathan along with P.V. Narasimha Rao may soften the stand of farm leaders, as Singh and Swaminathan were champions of agriculture. The farming community is waiting for any measures to be announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 10, the last sitting of the Lok Sabha. One will be happy if the producer of food is happy!
