Dallewal, president, of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) has been observing fast unto death for 28 days to press the government to ensure minimum support price (MSP) as per the MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations and one-time debt relief from government banks and private moneylenders. There were reports of widespread protests on Monday in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu to Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

Farmers organisations are also enraged over arrests and registration of alleged fake FIRs in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh where they have been demanding development of 10% residential plots given in lieu of land procured for residential societies and industries. The protesting farmers also burnt a copy of the draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing which they alleged was “the return of the repealed farm laws through backdoor.”

Kuldeep Singh, who was part of the protesting farmers in Jogindernagar, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, told NewsClick  over the phone that they submitted a memorandum to President of India Droupadi Murmu through Block Development Officer, Mandi, and burnt the draft of the proposed agriculture marketing policy.

“We fought a year-long struggle at the borders of Delhi and it was the martyrdom of 750 farmers that pushed the Narendra Modi government to repeal the three black farm laws. Now, this policy seeks to transfer our produce to private traders without fair pricing. The policy document does not even mention the word MSP. Similarly, it has recommended contract farming.”

The SKM said the protests were being held to remind the Centre of its promise to devise methods to ensure MSP in a legal framework. While some farmer organisations pressed for complete procurement of produce through state agencies, others wanted punitive charges for buying the produce below MSP.

The Centre, through its Secretary (Farmers Welfare) Sanjay Agarwal had assured the SKM leadership that it would form a committee, including representatives from the Centre and state governments, agricultural scientists and farmer leaders of different unions with the mandate to devise methods to implement MSP.

Agarwal’s letter dated December 9, 2021 also noted that the Union government in principle had agreed to withdraw criminal cases by its agencies for participation in the historic famers’ struggle and it would appeal to the state governments too to withdraw the cases. The Centre had also assured farmers that it would hold discussions on the provisions impacting farmers in the Electricity Amendment Act.

However, the government’s invitation to SKM to the committee on Zero Budget Farming was turned down by the Morcha leaders, who alleged that the committee had majority members who had backed the ‘black’ farm laws.

Why MSP is Crucial?

The farmers bodies have maintained that the Commission on Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), the Central body responsible for announcing MSP for procuring crops from farmers, had been employing a wrong methodology for calculating the input costs of seeds, fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides, diesel and harvesting. While CACP has used A2 + FL formula, the farmers have been demanding C2+ 50% for just returns on the produce. A2 covers major costs such as fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and diesel among others and FL implies unpaid family labour. C2 refers to comprehensive costs that also cover rents and forgone interest on land apart from traditional costs.

On Dallewal’s fast and deteriorating health, SKM leaders said in case of any untoward development, the entire responsibility would fall on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

In a statement, SKM core team member Darshan Pal said, “Instead of discussing the acute distress faced by farmers and agricultural labourers, the NDA-3 government is further unleashing an onslaught on agriculture, industry and services through the New National Agriculture Market Policy and Digital Agriculture Mission, National Cooperation Policy, imposing four labour codes and One Nation One Election that erodes the federal rights of the State Governments to facilitate the corporate agenda of ‘one nation one market for corporate profiteering’.

Memorandum to President

The memorandum submitted to the President of India by SKM leaders read, “It is highly unfortunate that the Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi is not ready to hold discussions with farmer organisations on struggles. Instead, consistent efforts are there to brutally suppress the struggles of farmers at Shambu and Khanuri borders of Punjab and Noida-Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh by using tear gas shelling, rubber bullets, water cannons and putting hundreds of farmers in jail for holding peaceful demonstrations and Dharna.”

It further noted that In the Gautam Buddha Nagar, the FIR No.0538 dated December 4, 2024, revealed that the Police Commissionerate had implicated 112 farmers on false charges under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Nyay Samhita for attempt to murder of a police sub-inspector…. “The farmers are in jail for the last 21 days,” it added.

The memorandum also held that the “new National Agriculture Market Policy is part of the strategy of the corporate agenda to permit backdoor resurrection of the three farm laws. The conscious efforts in the last two years to thwart procurement in APMC markets in Punjab and Haryana, dismantle FCI by promoting cash transfer on food subsidy, reduction of food subsidy by Rs. 60,470 Cr. and fertiliser subsidy by Rs. 62,445 Cr. in the last three consecutive years are corporate attacks on the existing system of limited MSP and Food security of the country.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Eyewitnesses, while speaking to Indian Express, described the operation as sudden and forceful. Amrik Singh of the Bharti Kisan Union (Sidhupur) recounted, “The police came at 2:30 am and broke the fibreglass wall of the temporary room where Dallewal ji was sleeping. When he refused to open the door, they forcibly entered and took him to an undisclosed location.”

While speaking to IE, Singh added that over 250 officers participated in the operation, locking the farmers in their huts or trolley homes to prevent resistance. Balpreet Singh, a close associate of Dallewal, described the swiftness of the operation: “I was held back by the police and couldn’t even reach my phone to document what happened. Within two minutes, they had taken Pradhan ji (Dallewal).”

Sarwan Singh Pandher, coordinator of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), criticised the heavy-handedness of the security forces. “This joint operation by the Punjab Police, Haryana Police, and central forces is a blatant violation of our constitutional right to protest. We strongly condemn these actions and demand transparency regarding Dallewal’s whereabouts.”

Despite assurances from Dr Nanak Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Patiala, that Dallewal was moved for medical reasons due to his age and cancer diagnosis, farmer unions remain sceptical. They claim that the act was a deliberate attempt to disrupt their movement on Constitution Day, a day that symbolises the protection of fundamental rights, including the right to protest.

Farmers’ demands and the context of the protest

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, had announced on November 25 regarding his decision to launch a fast-unto-death protest. This protest was aimed at pressing for the implementation of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for crops—a long-standing demand of Indian farmers. This announcement coincided with the fourth anniversary of the historic farmers’ protests that began on November 26, 2020, against the now-repealed three farm laws.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) have accused the government of failing to engage with farmers on critical issues since February 18, 2024. Key demands of the protesting farmers include:

• Implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations for fair pricing.
• Farm debt waivers and pensions for farmers and agricultural labourers.
• Compensation for families of farmers who lost their lives during the earlier 2020-2021 protests.
• Justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of 2021.
• Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and withdrawal of police cases against protesting farmers.
• Prevention of electricity tariff hikes and measures to support small-scale farmers.

Despite months of demonstrations at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 2024, the government has made no progress in addressing these demands. As the government continues to stall, the frustration among farmers has intensified.

More about the February farmers protest can be read here.

Intensifying the struggle and the question of fundamental rights

The forcible removal of Dallewal has provoked widespread anger among farmer unions. In response, the BKU (Sidhupur) and SKM (non-political) have called for farmers to gather in large numbers at the Khanauri border. Additionally, Chetavni rallies (warning rallies) have been planned across 500 districts in India, with central trade unions joining the movement. A Delhi Chalo march has also been scheduled for December 6, 2024 starting from the Shambhu border, further raising the stakes.

Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu has shifted the blame entirely to the Punjab government, led by Bhagwant Mann. “This was orchestrated by the state police. The Centre has always supported farmers and would not resort to such actions,” Bittu claimed, though his statement has done little to placate the agitated farmer community.

This incident raises fundamental questions about the erosion of democratic principles, especially on Constitution Day—a day meant to reaffirm commitments to justice, liberty, and equality. The right to peaceful protest, enshrined under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution, has been repeatedly challenged in recent years, particularly when it comes to mass movements like those led by farmers. The use of force to suppress dissent reflects an alarming trend of undermining civil liberties, as highlighted by the unannounced and forceful detention of Dallewal.

The protestors assert that such actions will only strengthen their resolve. Farmer leader Dallewal, before being detained, stated, “I am ready to sacrifice my life for this cause. This fight will continue until the government addresses our demands.” As the agitation gains momentum, the larger question remains: will the government respect the constitutional right to dissent, or will it continue to view protests as a threat to be quelled by force?

Separate ongoing protests against forced land acquisition by UP government

Farmers affected by forced land acquisition under various Uttar Pradesh governments gathered today, on November 26, in a massive Kisan Mahapanchayat outside the offices of the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA). For over two years, these farmers have been engaged in a sustained struggle, demanding the return of the 10% developed plots they were promised but never received.

The Mahapanchayat, organised under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), brought together farmers from more than 200 villages in Gautam Buddha Nagar district. The event marked the launch of a renewed fight for justice, with active participation and leadership from the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) in the region.

Farmers who suffered forced land acquisition by different UP governments and have been demanding return of promised 10% developed plots for the last two years in a near continuous movement converged today in a mega Kisan Mahapanchayat outside the Greater Noida Industrial (1/n) pic.twitter.com/wCwFNJmF2m

— AIKS (@KisanSabha) November 25, 2024

Listen to Comrade Pushpendra Tyagi, CKC member of AIKS explain why farmers have gathered in such a massive way today outside Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority’s office today. pic.twitter.com/yYbQuEmss9

— AIKS (@KisanSabha) November 25, 2024

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