Chandigarh: As farmers continue their 'Delhi Chalo' march on the second straight day on Wednesday Feb 14, parallels are being drawn between the resurgent stir and the past demonstration of 2020. As the situation unfolds, let us examine whether the renewed farmers' protest has any resemblance with the past demonstrations.
How is the Farmers' Protest 2.0 different? Farmer leaders are once again protesting on the streets with many demands including making a law on Minimum Support Price (MSP). Clashes between the protesting farmers and the police continue at Shambhu border in Haryana. With regard to the comparison of the renewed farmers' protest with that of the year 2020, not all farmer organizations are involved in the movement this time around.
Unlike past demonstrations, the ongoing farmers' movement is not taking place under the banner of United Kisan Morcha. Different farmer organizations from Punjab-Haryana and many other states are at the forefront of the movement this time around.
Rift among farmers' organizations: In a major setback to the farmers' movement, divisions are coming to the fore among the farmers' organizations regarding the movement. Bharatiya Kisan Union Chaduni Group leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni has alleged that some leaders are misleading innocent farmers to make themselves big heroes.
“Such people are luring innocent farmers to Delhi in the name of movement. United Kisan Morcha leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has left us and invited the farmers including other SKM leaders. Jagjit Singh Dallewal himself has decided to go to Delhi. Farmer organizations including SKM leaders were not invited to march to Delhi,” he said.
Different voices of farmer leaders: Farmer leaders Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Chaduni, who were involved in the farmers' movement in the year 2020, do not seem to be on the same page with other farmers. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, from Amritsar, Punjab, has planned Kisan Andolan 2.0.
As for the renewed farmers' protest, after no agreement was reached in the meeting with the Union Minister on 12 February, the farmers of Punjab turned towards Delhi on Tuesday, 13 February. However, due to tight security arrangements and multiple layers of barricades at the Shambhu border, the protesting farmers could not succeed in entering into the national capital through the border.
Police also fired tear gas shells from drones to disperse the farmers leading to injuries to some farmers and policemen. Braving the restrictions and tear gas shelling, the farmers remained defiant at the border late on Tuesday night. Hundreds of farmers are camping on the border with tractor trolleys with farmers resuming their march to Delhi.
