Delhi-like Farmers Protest outside Chandigarh

The winter of discontent begins in Panjab. A few days back, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha gave a call to hold a three-day ‘show of strength’ in Chandigarh over unfulfilled promises from the 2020-21 Farmers’ Protest. On 26 Nov – Indian Constitution Day and 3^rd anniversary of the Chalo Dilli call – over 3,000 tractors and trolleys from Panjab started marching to Amb Sahib Gurdwara at Mohali, Panjab on the outskirts of Chandigarh. Farmers from Haryana camped in Panchkula and major rallies are being organized in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and other states. The agenda is: legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP); extension of MSP to other crops; withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during earlier farmer protest and for burning paddy; compensation for farmers who died during the earlier farmer protest; waiver of loans raised by farmers and farm laborers; $120 pension per month for farmers aged 60 and above; justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri case; free electricity and withdrawal of Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022; and compensation for crops damaged by floods and pest attacks. Chandigarh police reinforced barricades to prevent farmers from entering the city. Panjab police redirected traffic on roads. Earlier last week, on 22 Nov, farmers from the Doaba region of Panjab blocked the highway between Jalandhar and Chandigarh, demanding a meeting with the government over the increase in sugarcane prices and a notification to mills to procure sugarcane which had started to rot. The Panjab CM remained busy campaigning in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. When farmers blocked trains, the government negotiated with them. The protest ended but the government's price and notification are awaited. SKM leaders met the Governor28 Nov and handed over their demands. After which, as promised, they ended the three-day protest.