Explained: Why are farmers on warpath again? How's SC panel negotiating with them?

Farmers’ stir is back in the spotlight following a state-wide bandh call given by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) in Punjab on Monday (December 30) to press the Centre to meet their demands, including a legal guarantee for a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

The bandh was also enforced to express solidarity with farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal who has been on a fast for the last 35 days at Khanauri border protest site of farmers.

Farmers, under the banner of SKM (NP) and KMM, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

Also read: Punjab bandh: Farmers block roads; emergency services out of purview

A group of 101 farmers attempted to march to Delhi on foot thrice between December 6 and 14 but were stopped by security personnel from Haryana.

The Federal takes you through the farmers’ key demands and the efforts being made to resolve their issues.

What are the demands of the protesting farmers?

The farmers are demanding a law guaranteeing the purchase of all crops at minimum support price (MSP) for farmers across the country, with crop prices fixed as per the recommendations of the Dr Swaminathan Commission. They have also sought a complete debt waiver for farmers and farm labourers.

They are also seeking nationwide reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, ensuring written consent from farmers and four times compensation based on collector rates before any land acquisition.

Among their other demands are: India’s withdrawal from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and suspension of all free trade agreements; justice for October 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence victims; pension for farmers and farm labourers; compensation for farmers who died during a protest against the now scrapped farm laws at Delhi borders, along with government jobs for one family member of each victim; repeal Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020; ensure 200 days of employment per year under MGNREGA with a daily wage of Rs 700, and link it with agriculture; strict penalties for companies producing fake seeds, pesticides, and fertilisers; setting up of a National Commission for chilli, turmeric, and other spices; implementation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, ensuring the rights of tribal communities over water, forests, and land, and stopping the exploitation of tribal lands by corporations; and justice for Shubhkaran Singh, who was killed on February 23 at Khanauri border when Haryana security forces were stopping farmers from marching ahead.

Why are the farmers against the implementation of National Policy Framework for Agriculture Marketing?

Farm union leaders have said that the National Policy Framework for Agriculture Marketing shouldn’t be implemented, as it is an attempt to implement the repealed farm laws through backdoors. This is also among the key demands of the protesting farmer unions.

Released on November 25, 2024, the draft policy aims at a “competitive and transparent agricultural marketing ecosystem” where farmers can access diverse markets and secure better prices. It talks about dismantling Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) markets and promoting contract farming, which was one of the key points in the three farm laws that farmers had protested against.

Also read: Farmers call for Kisan Mahapanchayat on Jan 4; SC slams govt for Dallewal's fast

Opposing the draft policy, the farmers said that while they were fighting for MSP, the Union government was all set to uproot the APMC market system in Punjab, which was the best in the country, take away the financial autonomy of the state and push the farming sector into privatisation. They have also questioned the timing of the draft policy, as the Union government has given just a couple of weeks to the states to respond.

The draft agricultural marketing policy talks about 12 reforms, which include allowing private wholesale markets to be set up, and permitting the direct wholesale purchase by processors, exporters, organised retailers and bulk buyers. The policy document also declares warehouses, silos and cold storages as deemed markets, calls for an e-trading platform, a single point levy of market fee, a single unified licence, rationalisation of market fee and commission charges.

Both Samyukta Kisan Morcha (NP) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha held a joint meeting in Chandigarh and asked the AAP government in Punjab to call a special Assembly session and pass a resolution against the draft policy.

Why did the Supreme Court constitute a committee under the chairmanship of retired Justice Nawab Singh?

Observing that the issue of farmers’ protest should not be politicised, the Supreme Court in September this year constituted a high-powered committee headed by former Punjab and Haryana high court judge Justice Nawab Singh to amicably resolve the grievances of protesting farmers at Shambhu border.

An apex court bench led by Justice Surya Kant said the other members of the committee will be former Haryana DGP PS Sandhu, prominent agriculture expert Devender Sharma, Professor of Eminence at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, Prof Ranjit Singh Ghuman, and Agricultural Economist at Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) Dr Sukhpal Singh.

Also read: Punjab DGP, central govt envoy meet Dallewal, farmer leader on fast-unto-death

“We hope and trust that one of the major demands of the agitating farmers regarding constitution of a neutral high-powered committee having been accepted with the consent of both the states, they will immediately respond to the high-powered committee and will vacate Shambhu Border or the other roads connecting the two states without any delay,” it said.

Noting that farmers have their own “genuine issues”, the top court asked the farmers to stay away from political parties, saying the protest must not be politicised.

The SC panel has now invited the SKM for talks on January 3. The farmer outfit has accepted this invitation and talks regarding MSP and other concerning issues will be held during the meeting, confirmed Raminder Singh Patiala, member national coordination committee of SKM.