The announcement comes close on the heels of the collective rejection of government’s proposal to procure five crops on minimum support price for a period of five years by various farmer associations and agri-experts.
New Delhi: The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Tikait) leader Rakesh Tikait has warned that the ongoing agitation for guaranteed minimum support price could surpass the duration of the previous protest of 2020-21, which lasted for 13 months. a special report by Neeraj Mohan in The Tribune, Chandigarh, says
The announcement comes close on the heels of the collective rejection of government’s proposal to procure five crops on minimum support price for a period of five years by various farmer associations and agri-experts.
A prominent figure in the farmers’ movement Tikait said:, “The government has prevented the farmers from going to Delhi. This time, a movement will be initiated that will last not just for 13 months but much longer. We will make sure they do not come to power in 2024.”
Addressing a Kisan Mahapanchayat, Bin Jijaula of Shamli district, on Tuesday, Tikait criticized the government and labelled its policies as anti-farmer.
He stated that the farmers’ demands have persisted for long, but they were still not receiving a fair price for their crops, leading to a continuous escalation of their problems.
He urged farmers to set aside differences, raise their voices collectively and ensure a huge presence of tractors on roads leading to Delhi on February 26 and 27.
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Tikait) has also called for a tractor march in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to bolster the ongoing agitation. However, the SKM, representing 40 farmer unions, has not confirmed its participation in the “Dilli-Chalo” protest.
In the backdrop of four rounds of failed talks between farmers and ministers, the government could contemplate a new strategy to address the growing unrest. The agitation, which originated in Punjab on February 13, is now gaining momentum in Haryana and UP.
According to sources, the numbers are likely to swell by evening as hundreds of farmers are joining the protest at Shambhu.
Meanwhile, heavy police deployment in and around Rajpura has been made to manage traffic movement as hundreds of tractor trolleys are expected to reach Shambhu.
Senior police officials from Patiala, including SSP Varun Sharma and SP City Mohammed Sarfaraz Alam, also reached Shambhu to take stock of the security arrangements.
“We are deploying more cops as talks are on with farmer unions to reconsider their decision, but it looks unlikely as they have already announced their intention to proceed to Delhi on Wednesday,” said a senior police official at Shambhu.
After consultations and discussions for the entire day on Monday, the farmer unions rejected the Centre’s proposal for buying three pulses, besides cotton and maize at the MSP.
“The government has been delaying the issue and unless it gives in writing about the MSP on all 23 crops, we are left with no option but to protest. The government should fix the crop prices as per the Swaminathan Commission report,” said Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) chief Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Monday.
Backing the decision, Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “The Centre has been using one ploy or the other to delay the issue and instead of coming to the point and accepting the long-pending and genuine demands of the agitating farmers, there are only assurances and promises.”
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