Farmers ready to march to Delhi again today, strict arrangements on borders

After disagreement with the Central Government on MSP or Minimum Support Price, farmers are ready for Delhi March again today.

The government had proposed to give MSP on 5 crops i.e. cotton, maize, lentil, arhar and urad, which was rejected by the farmers. Farmers are demanding MSP guarantee on all crops.

The agitating farmers at Shambhu Border (Shambhu Border Farmer's Protest) have arrived with Poklane machines to try to break the cement walls built by the administration. However, Haryana Police has written a letter to Punjab Police asking them to confiscate these machines.

In view of the farmers' protest march, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda has once again appealed to the farmers to carry forward the talks in a peaceful manner. He said that everyone wants a solution, that is why the government has tried to continue the talks.

Farmer leaders on Monday evening rejected the government's proposal to purchase maize, cotton and three types of pulses - arhar, urad and masoor - at the old MSP. Farmers said it made no sense as it applied only to a few crops and no attention was being paid to those growing the other 18 crops.

Farmers said the price is based on the A2+FL+50 per cent formula (1.5 times MSP of direct costs like seeds and fertilizers and unpaid family labour), and not the Swaminathan Commission's C2+50 per cent formula (which includes agricultural land rent)., or includes the rental value of land owned) - this would be a "subsistence" payment and not "income"

Farmers were also unhappy with the clause that said MSP would be applicable only to those opting for crop conversion, which means they would have to grow government-approved crops to avail the minimum support price. “Thus, we have decided to reject the proposal,” the farmers said.

This came after the fourth round of talks between the central government and farmers in Chandigarh, in which three Union ministers, including Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, were present, said that "unruly elements are trying to hijack the talks".

About 1 lakh farmers are standing on the Shambhu border of Punjab-Haryana. He has been stuck there for the past week while all parties try to negotiate an agreement and avoid a repeat of last year's violent protests.

To stop the farmers from marching to Delhi, concrete barricades, barbed wire circles and even spike strips have been installed on the 200 km long highway to stop tractors from moving forward. Such preparations have been revealed from drone footage.

Security arrangements have been tightened around Delhi. Major border crossings including Ghazipur, Tikri, Noida and Singhu have been blocked with iron and cement barricades. Delhi Police has also imposed a one-month ban on public gatherings under Section 144.