The blockade at Shambhu and Khanauri has now lasted over 300 days.
Dec 19, 2024 07:13 IST First published on: Dec 19, 2024 at 07:13 IST
It’s a do-or-die battle. That appears to be the emerging sentiment at the 5-km-long encampment of farmers along the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana, where Jagjit Singh Dallewal is on a fast unto death. It’s Day 23, and Dallewal, the coordinator of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-political) — which, along with the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), is spearheading Kisan Agitation 2.0 in Punjab — has vowed not to end his fast until the Centre legalises the minimum support price (MSP). Punjab, whose farm unions led one of the longest agitations in independent India against the now-repealed farm laws appeared divided about waging another prolonged battle. Dallewal, a cancer patient, began his fast on November 26. He has rallied support not only from within the state but also across the country. A parliamentary committee on agriculture, chaired by former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, has added weight to Dallewal’s demand by recommending a legal guarantee of MSP.
While SKM (Non-political) and KMM claim the backing of around 100 farm unions, the SKM, which spearheaded the previous agitation, had earlier distanced itself from them. Even so, the Union government engaged with the movement, holding several rounds of talks in February, leading to what Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann termed an “out-of-the-box solution,” including the purchase of crops from Punjab farmers for the next five years. However, the unions rejected the proposal, insisting it be implemented nationwide. Meanwhile, tasked with preventing a repeat of the farmers’ morcha on the Delhi borders, the Haryana police have turned the state borders at Shambhu and Khanauri into no-man’s land. Farmers have been confined to these two sites since the widely televised February clashes, which saw the march to Delhi halted following the death of a 21-year-old protester.
The blockade at Shambhu and Khanauri has now lasted over 300 days. This disruption has dampened the groundswell of support seen during the previous agitation, especially among city dwellers who blame the blockades for business losses. Some have even approached the courts, leading the Supreme Court in September to set up a committee to address the farmers’ grievances. Earlier this month, union leaders made another attempt to reach Delhi but they were beaten back by the Haryana police. However, Dallewal’s failing health has brought renewed attention to the agitation. This comes as the Centre announced a draft national policy framework on agricultural marketing, which many in Punjab view with suspicion, fearing echoes of the now-repealed farm laws. At the heart of the matter is the growing agrarian crisis in Punjab. Farmers know that diversification is a potential solution. Yet wary of market forces that have failed them in the past, they continue to demand a guaranteed price. It’s an old problem that requires a new solution. The state and entral governments must join hands with farmer leaders to find a way forward. Problems left unresolved for too long often have unintended and unfortunate consequences.
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