Farmers planned their march to coincide with the Republic Day Parade. Here’s everything you need to know about the demands of the farmers in order to end the protest.
Hundreds of thousands of farmers drove their tractors in convoy into the capital New Delhi as part of their ongoing nationwide protests against the controversial agricultural laws that according to the government would liberalise the agriculture sector but as per farmers, they will lose the source of their income. It’s been around four months now, and there is no sign which indicates the end of the farmer’s protest.
India is celebrating its 72nd Republic Day today, and the world is keeping an eye on it. But simultaneously, when the country was busy celebrating the day, a massive rally was planned by the protesting farmers to coincide with the country’s Republic Day celebrations.
Although the police had given permission for the farmers to hold a tractor rally in Delhi, they had placed a cap of 5,000 tractors. However, more than 200,000 tractors were mobilised, with many young people coming from the neighbouring states. With the arrival of the protesting farmers on foot and in tractors, clashes broke out between police and the farmers, when the farmers tried entering Delhi’s historic Red Fort complex.
Thousands of the farmers have been striking on the outskirts of Delhi since November, demanding the three newly enacted farm laws to be repealed. With the demand to annul these three agricultural laws, the protesting farmers have also submitted a set of demands to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and wanted their demands to be fulfilled. With such mass agitation and farmer’s protest now gathered international attention, it’s really important to know the demands that the farmers have put in front of the government.
1. Adamant on repealing the three new agricultural laws:
The first and the foremost demand of the protesting farmer’s organisations is the annulment of the three new agricultural laws. The three newly enacted agricultural laws are: Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Simplification) Act 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Price Assurance and Agreement on Agricultural Services Act 2020, and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
Farmer’s want these three laws to be repealed because they believe that these laws will benefit the corporate sector and not the farmers. While the government on the other hand claims that these laws will benefit the farmers and will help them grow.
2. Demand for strict national law on MSP:
The second demand of farmers is the guarantee to MSP. Farmers want a guarantee of MSP from the central government. However, the government has assured to continue the procurement on MSP, but still, the farmers are in doubt.
3. Slash diesel prices for agricultural use by 50%:
The farmers are demanding a slash on the diesel prices used for agricultural purposes by around 50 percentage.
4. Stop jailing and penalising farmers for pollution:
Framers in their demand letter wanted the government to stop jailing and penalising farmers for pollution for stubble burning.
5. Implementation of Swaminathan report on MSP:
The protesting farmers are demanding MSP as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. The Swaminathan Commission Report states that the government should raise the MSP to at least 50% more than the weighted average cost of production.