'Dilli Chalo' Farmer Protest Explained: Know The Farmers’ Fear, The Government's Stand And All About The Protest

Farmer unions believe the recent laws enacted at the Centre will dismantle the minimum support price (MSP) system. Over time big corporate houses will dictate terms and farmers will end up getting less for their crops, they argue.

PTI photo

Delhi Chalo Farmer’s protest march: Thousands of farmers, who are stationed at Delhi's Singhu and Tikri borders are up in arms against the Center's agricultural reforms enacted by the Centre in September. The protest has now entered the fourth day, and farmers have decided to hold a key meet to discuss their next move. Here’s all about the farmer’s agitation that has created an uproar among the farmers’ community. What are the three Farm laws enacted aimed at?

• Amending the Essential Commodities Act to deregulate prices and quantity sold of certain commodities deemed essential
• Making way to facilitate contract farming
• Allowing private markets to be set up outside the physical boundaries of the ‘Agriculture Produce Market Committees’ (APMC) mandis.

Who are protesting? The `Delhi Chalo" call was given by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee. Several other organisations including Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh and factions of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) came out in support. Several national and regional farm unions, comprising many leaders have come under the umbrella banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha.  The Rashtriya Kisan Mahasanghathan, Jai Kisan Andolan, All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, Krantikari Kisan Union, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda), BKU (Rajewal), BKU (Ekta-Urgahan,) BKU (Chaduni) are among the participants. Who’s Gurnam Singh Chaduni? Gurnam Singh Chaduni is the state president of Bharatiya Kisan Union who has become the face of farmers’ protest in Haryana. The 60-year-old describes himself as an agriculturist and commission agent as per his 2019 poll affidavit. He belongs to Charuni Jattan village in Shahbad tehsil of Kurukshetra district. Amid the recent ongoing protest, a case has been filed against Gurnam Singh Chaduni for his alleged involvement in the farmers' agitation disrupting law and order. What happened so far? On the first day of the protest, thousands of farmers crossed from Punjab to Haryana. At border points, the Haryana Police tried to stop them, using water cannons and teargas. After skirmishes with police they were able to pass through BJP-run Haryana and later they camped for the night near Panipat. Next day, the protesters assembled at Delhi’s border at Tigri and Singhu. Police used teargas and water cannons to stop them from breaking through barricades, which included sand-laden trucks. Meanwhile, the standoff continued on Saturday morning at Delhi’s border as more farmers started making their way from Punjab and Haryana. What farmers fear? Farmer unions believe the recent laws enacted at the Centre will dismantle the minimum support price (MSP) system. Over time big corporate houses will dictate terms and farmers will end up getting less for their crops, they argue. Farmers fear that with the virtual disbanding of the mandi system, they will not get an assured price for their crops and the “arthiyas" -- commission agents who also pitch in with loans for them -- will be out of business. What are their demands? The key demand is the withdrawal of the three laws which deregulate the sale of their crops. The farmer unions could also settle for a legal assurance that the MSP system will continue, ideally through an amendment to the laws. They are also pressing for the withdrawal of the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020, fearing it will lead to an end to subsidised electricity. Farmers say rules against stubble burning should also not apply to them. Most protesters are from Punjab, but there is a substanial number from Haryana as well. There have been scattered support for the "Delhi Chalo" protest from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.  What’s the Centre’s view? The government believes the new laws will give more options to the farmers to sell their crops and get them better prices. It has assured that there is no move to end the MSP system, and the new Acts do not refer to it. On the monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, PM Narendra Modi said in the demands of the farmers have been fulfilled, the laws are to lessen their problems and provide them new rights. Now, farmers can register their complaints easily, can sell their products anywhere they want. (With inputs from PTI)