1 year of farmers’ protest phase-2 : Growers hold mahapanchayat, call for MSP guarantee and debt waiver

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, February 12

A year has passed since the beginning of the second phase of the farmers’ protest, and to mark the occasion, a large farmer gathering (mahapanchayat) took place at the Khanauri border on Wednesday. Farmers from all over the country participated in this event. They came together to raise many demands, including the guarantee for MSP (Minimum Support Price) for crops, the Swaminathan Commission formula (C2 50) for crop pricing, and complete debt waiver for farmers and labourers.

During the mahapanchayat, farmers of the Bharatiya Kisan Ekta (BKE) staged a protest by writing slogans on their bodies, calling for Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s demands to be met. BKE president Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh, a speaker at the mahapanchayat, praised Dallewal for raising awareness about the MSP guarantee law.

He also criticised the government for being “indifferent” to farmers’ plight, noting that farmers had been protesting in extreme weather conditions for over a year.

Aulakh condemned the government’s “inaction”, saying it was silent and had been serving the interests of capitalists, who were benefiting from the country’s resources while farmers struggled.

The BKE team also shared videos showing the plight of farmers at the Khanouri and Shambhu borders.

Farmers from Sirsa district have been providing continuous support, including sending milk, ration and dry wood, to the Khanauri protest site.

Aulakh remembered farmers’ sacrifices during the Delhi protest, where 750 farmers died. He said, in this phase of the protest, 42 farmers had already lost their lives. However, the fight would continue until the MSP guarantee law was implemented, he added.

Farmers were determined to continue their struggle, even if it meant sacrificing more lives, until their demands were met, the BKE president said.