Farmers’ protest: Delhi turns into fortress as thousands march to India capital
Thousands of farmers from neighbouring states are currently marching towards Delhi, the capital of India, to demand guaranteed prices for their crops.
This resurgence of protest comes after a previous year-long demonstration in 2020, during which farmers camped at the Delhi borders to oppose controversial agricultural reforms.
Despite the government’s agreement to repeal the laws following that protest, farmers now say their key demands still haven’t been fulfilled.
Concerns over the lack of fulfilment of key demands have prompted farmers to take to the streets once more. In anticipation of potential unrest, Delhi police have taken preemptive measures by sealing off the city’s borders on three sides.
This move aims to prevent a recurrence of the extensive blockades witnessed in 2020, during which protesting farmers occupied national highways connecting Delhi to neighbouring states. The earlier protest posed a significant challenge to the authority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Despite two rounds of discussions between farm union leaders and federal ministers, a resolution has yet to be reached.
The farmers’ demands include the establishment of assured floor prices, commonly referred to as the minimum support price (MSP), which would enable them to sell a majority of their produce at government-controlled wholesale markets or mandis. Additionally, they are adamant that the government fulfil its commitment to doubling farmers’ income.