Farmers who have spent the last 15 months protesting the controversial three farm laws and pushing for a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), having finally decided to call off their agitation after accepting a second draft proposal from the government, which includes assurances on MSP and withdrawal of police cases.
Farmers Protest
Branded as one of the more severe protests that were held in the country post-Independence, the farmers protest drew attention from all over. Not just the people from the country even internationally it was talked about. Many association joined hands with the farmers, while global celebrities vouched for their support and even called for the Union government to look into the farmers’ issues.
The Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was adamant that stuck to their guns. Despite having numerous meetings with the farmers’ unions, the deadlock between the farmers and the government did not break. The high point was when the junior Union minister for home Ajay Mishra’s son alleged run over the agitating farmers in Uttar Pradesh.
Finally, the government had to step down and repeal the controversial farm laws. Though everyone named it as a move by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeal farmers in Punjab and UP since both the states will go for elections next year. All said and done, the farmers emerged victorious. But the associations decided not to withdraw their protest after the Union government repealed the farm laws. They stuck to their guns demanding MSP, withdrawal of police cases on the protesting farmers and arrest the Union minister Ajay Mishra. It now looks like the farmers made the government bend to their demands and hence they have decided to call of the stir and clear the places very soon.
After intense negotiations initiated by the Union home ministry, the farmers protesting at the borders of the national capital have finally decided to end their year-long movement. This comes in the wake of the Centre accepting all demands put forward by the protesting farmers, including the withdrawal of all agitation-related cases and compensation to the families of farmers who had died during the course of the movement against the contentious agriculture laws.
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The stand-down comes after a stunning series of U-turns by the government – from repealing the farm laws to withdrawing police cases against the farmers and, crucially, offering a written guarantee to consider their long-standing demand to make MSP, said a source.
Moreover, the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh state governments, along the lines of Punjab, have also agreed to provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and a job to the kin of deceased farmers. Finally, the demand to include only SKM leaders in the MSP committee – apart from officials from the states, Centre, and agricultural experts – has also been met.
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