Farmers 2.0 Protest: Why Are They Back On Delhi Streets?

Nearly two years after farmers took to the streets in 2021, Farmers Protest 2.0 is underway now as farmers mainly from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have taken to the Delhi streets. As a part of Farmers Protest 2.0, the farmers are taking the siege to Delhi starting from February 13th.

In 2021, the protests were surrounding the three farming laws introduced by the central government which linked farmers to open markets. The farmers protested against this as they felt this would put them at the mercy of private companies.

This time, the protests are to enforce a legal guarantee of Minimum Selling Price (MSP) in order to safeguard their farming investments. Another demand is a guaranteed pension of Rs 10,000 per month for every farmer aged over 60.

One more major demand is the implementation of farmer loan waiver, relaxation of electricity bills, and more comprehensive crop insurance from the central government.

Around 25,000 farmers and 5000 tractors are marching towards Delhi as a part of the siege. They have called for a nationwide bandh on the 16th of this month. Emergency services such as ambulance operations, marriage, medical shops, schools, etc., will not be affected during the Bharat Bandh on Friday. However, the reports state that the intensity and participation this year are lesser than what was seen in 2021.