Police in northern India have fired tear gas to prevent thousands of protesting farmers demanding minimum crop prices from marching on Delhi.
Protests are kept at a distance from the capital through the use of barricades made of razor wire, cement blocks, and fencing encircling three sides.
The government is concerned about a recurrence of what happened in 2020 – a year-long demonstration during which many people lost their lives. The protest came to a halt when government officials agreed to revoke the contentious agriculture laws.
However, farmers claim that other requirements have yet to be fulfilled after a little more than two years.
Why India farmers are protesting again
Analysts predict that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in India will be cautious in order to maintain the support of the influential voting bloc of farmers. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which seeks a third consecutive term in power in the upcoming general elections, is aware of the importance of not distancing itself from this group.
Images on Tuesday demonstrated the utilization of dense tear gas clouds to scatter demonstrators in close proximity to Ambala, a city approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the central capital.
Huge economic losses due to the protests.
In addition to Monday’s incident, tear gas was deployed by the police once again at the border between Haryana and Punjab states known as Shambhu. Furthermore, drones were constantly present above the gathering and released tear gas onto the individuals present.
A BBC Punjabi reporter, who was at the scene, stated that tear gas shells were continuously raining throughout the day. Some individuals in the crowd sustained injuries, primarily from being struck by plastic bullets discharged by the police.
As a reaction, a group of protesters threw stones at the police. The farmers utilized damp sacks and garments as shields against the tear gas projectiles.
Punjab-based farmers express their desire to peacefully pass through Haryana in order to reach Delhi, but they have not been granted permission to do so. The situation at the Shambhu border has also seen clashes between law enforcement and protestors, causing tension to persist.
Protesting farmers in 2020 endured long periods of occupying national highways, which link the capital to nearby states, as they posed a significant threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.
Families mourn farmers who died during protests
On Tuesday, there were reports of traffic congestion and disturbances throughout Delhi as officials closed off roads and directed traffic in different directions.
The police have enforced a ban on organizing large gatherings in the city, such as at border checkpoints connecting the capital to the nearby states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, where the farmers are anticipated to arrive.
Internet services have been halted by the BJP-led state government in Haryana for seven districts until Tuesday. Despite two unsuccessful rounds of discussions between farm union leaders and federal ministers, no resolution has been reached.
The impact of the protests on the upcoming elections.
Farmers are demanding guaranteed floor prices, also referred to as minimum support prices (MSP), that enable them to sell the majority of their crops at government-regulated wholesale markets known as mandis. Additionally, they are putting forth the request for the government to meet its commitment of doubling the income of farmers.
Federal ministers and farm union leaders met for six hours on Monday, where they allegedly reached a consensus on certain demands. This included the resolution to drop charges filed against demonstrators involved in the protests that transpired in 2020.
enacted, there was a lack of agreement regarding the Minimum Support Price (MSP). repealed The government previously announced its intention to establish a committee to explore strategies for guaranteeing fair prices for all agricultural products. However, the committee has not yet delivered its findings.
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Families mourn farmers who died during protests
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India’s farmers end year of mass protests
Over 200 groups of farmers are joining the protest. Sarvan Singh Pandher, the general secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, expressed their intention to peacefully march in order to make the government pay attention to their demands, as reported by the ANI news agency.
On 16 February, a rural strike will be observed by farmers’ and trade unions, where they will refrain from engaging in any agricultural activities. Additionally, all shops, markets, and offices in villages will remain shut, and farmers will strategically block key roads throughout the country.
