Farmers Protest: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have organized a ‘rail roko’ protest on Sunday to advocate for their various demands.
Here are the top ten updates:
1. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Saturday urged the Centre not to run away from its responsibility of giving legal guarantee for MSP on all crops, even as farmers prepare to participate in the proposed ‘rail roko’ protest on March 10 to press for their demands.
2. In the meantime, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, while addressing the press, said the protesting farmers will squat on railway tracks at several places in Punjab, including Ferozepur, Amritsar, Rupnagar, and Gurdaspur districts.
3. In the meantime, Sarwan Singh Pandher, leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, informed journalists that the protesting farmers intend to block railway tracks at various locations in Punjab, including Ferozepur, Amritsar, Rupnagar, and Gurdaspur districts.
4. As reported by PTI, Dallewal said the government is importing palm oil worth ₹1.38 lakh crore but it cannot spend on farmers by giving them MSP on all crops. “The government should not run away from its responsibility. To save the country’s farmers, a law on MSP should be enacted,” he said.
5. Additionally, the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), Bharti Kisan Union (Dakaunda-Dhaner), and the Krantikari Kisan Union, which are affiliated with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, will also take part in the ‘rail roko’ demonstration.
6. Dallewal said that farmers need to receive Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops to ensure their survival, adhering to the “C2 plus 50 per cent” formula advocated by the Swaminathan Commission. Additionally, he dismissed claims that providing MSP for all crops would require a substantial expenditure.
7. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, although not directly involved in the “Delhi Chalo” call, has expressed solidarity with the protesting farmers who are stationed at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points.
8. Leading the “Delhi Chalo” movement are the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, aiming to exert pressure on the government to meet farmers’ demands, notably the legal assurance of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops.
9. Farmers who are protesting have set up camps at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points along the Punjab-Haryana border after their attempt to march to Delhi was halted by security forces. The march commenced on February 13.
10. Earlier, farmer representatives had turned down the proposal from the BJP-led central government to have government agencies procure pulses, maize, and cotton at Minimum Support Price (MSP) for five years, citing that it did not align with the interests of the farmers.
(With inputs from agencies)
