Farmers' protest 2.0: Reasons why farmers are protesting in Delhi; how it is different from 2020-21 demonstration?

NEW DELHI: Farmers protest 2.0 is in motion, this time called ‘Delhi Chalo’. Nearly after two years, farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, with over 200 unions heading, are marching towards Delhi today after inconclusive talks with Union Ministers on Monday. Farmer leaders said there is still a lack of clarity on legal guarantees for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

In 2020, farmers protested against three laws at Delhi borders, leading to their repeal in 2021. These laws were -- The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

The Delhi Chalo march is scheduled to start at 10 am. However, the Haryana government has put up fencing around the state in a bid to prevent a repeat of the 2020-21 protests.

Farmer's Protest 2.0 vs 2020 Agitation

• In 2020, the farmers protested against the three farm laws which were repealed by the central government after one year in 2021. Now, the Delhi Chalo protest is being staged to demand a legal guarantee to MSP for all crops, full debt waiver for farmers, pension for farmers, the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's formula, and withdrawal of cases against farmers during the 2020 protest.
• The 2020 protest was led by Bhartiya Kisan Union, and Samyukt Kisan Morcha, while the Delhi Chalo protest is being spearheaded by different unions because the landscape of farmers' unions has changed over the years. This time, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced farmers' protest 2.0.
• Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni were two prominent leaders of farmers' protests in 2020. However, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, leader of SKM (non-political), and Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of Sarwan Singh Pandher are at the forefront of Delhi Chalo 2.0.
• Last time, the Government of India accepted the farmers' demand to withdraw all cases against the protesters registered during the 2020 agitation. However, there was no legal guarantee of MSP. This time, the Centre has already started the negotiation process even before the Delhi Chalo commencement today. The first meeting between the farmer leaders and the Union ministers took place on February 8, while the second happened on February 12.
• Farmers were allowed to enter the nation's capital in 2020, but this time around the administration has implemented stringent preventative measures. There are barbed wire, cement barricades, and nails on the roads; all access to Delhi is restricted. Delhi has implemented Section 144. The Haryana government closed its borders with Punjab.