New Delhi: Nearly four years after their year-long agitation forced the repeal of three farm laws, farmers are preparing for another major show of strength in the national capital. On August 25, a Kisan Mahapanchayat will be held at Jantar Mantar to demand a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and other pending issues.
The call for this Mahapanchayat has been given by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), which has invited farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and other states. Unlike the 2020–21 protests that saw tractors and trolleys rolling toward Delhi, this time farmers will arrive by trains, with arrangements for food and stay already made.
Leaders Speak Out
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, chief of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), stressed that the protest would be peaceful but firm.
“The fight for the MSP Guarantee Act is not just Punjab’s, it belongs to farmers across India,” he said, highlighting the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation of cost-plus MSP as their central demand.
Farmer leaders argue that the absence of a legal MSP framework continues to push farmers into debt and suicides.
“This Mahapanchayat will remind policymakers that promises made after the repeal of farm laws remain unfulfilled,” added Resham Singh, another farmer leader.
Wider Demands
Besides MSP, farmers are also demanding:
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Compensation for families of farmers killed in Lakhimpur Kheri violence
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Release of farmers arrested during the year-long protests
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Waiver of farmer debts
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Farmer consultation on the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022
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Withdrawal from proposed Free Trade Agreements that could hurt agriculture
Voices from the Ground
From Punjab to Odisha, farmers shared their plight.
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Amandeep Kaur, 22, said:
“The government promised MSP, but nothing has been done.”
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Sachin Mahapatra, from Odisha, highlighted:
“Farmers in my state earn as little as ₹1,200 a month. Rising debt is pushing many to death.”
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Farmers from Kerala also joined in solidarity, calling MSP a national issue, not just Punjab-Haryana’s concern.
Many participants complained of delays due to police checks at Delhi’s borders, which they alleged were intended to demotivate protesters. Despite this, thousands gathered at Jantar Mantar, submitting a memorandum to district officials before dispersing peacefully.
Farmer bodies have warned that if demands are ignored, larger demonstrations will follow.
