Explained: Why are UP, Haryana farmers marching to Delhi this time?

Three years after their historic anti-farm-laws protest in Delhi that forced the central government to back down, farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have threatened to go on another march to the capital.

Noida Police on Thursday (February 8) stepped up security along its borders with Delhi as thousands of farmers and villages descended on the ground with a plan to march to the Parliament. Another march has been planned from Haryana on February 13.

So, what are their protests about this time? Here is a brief history of the current farmers’ protests.

Separate protests

Farmers have been protesting over different issues since December last year. Two separate protests are on the cards in February — one Thursday and another next Tuesday (February 13).

The first one comprises farmers from Noida and Greater Noida in UP. They have been protesting since December to demand greater compensation for the land acquired from them by the local development authorities and also a share of the developed plots.

The second one, which is supposed to begin from Ambala in Haryana, is in demand for a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Who is leading the protests?

Several farmers’ protests have been on for two months in Noida and Greater Noida. The Bharatiya Kisan Parishad has been protesting against the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) at its headquarters in Sector 24 and against the Noida Authority in Sector 6.

The All India Kisan Sabha has been protesting against the Greater Noida Authority. Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday afternoon joined the protestors in Greater Noida, where his Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) members have also been protesting outside the local authority office.

Another protest is being held by farmers under the banner of Jai Jawan Jai Kisan against Ansal Builders.

All these separate bodies reportedly called a mahapanchayat on Wednesday (February 7) and took the decision to march to Parliament on Thursday, demanding that their issues be resolved in a time-bound manner.

The February 13 protest is being led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (apolitical), which is not the same as the Samyukt Kisan Morcha that led the 2020-21 protests.

What are the UP farmers’ demands?

The UP farmers have two main demands. First, they are demanding 10 per cent of residential plots on the developed land for which their land was acquired.

Currently, the Noida Authority gives farmers 5 per cent of the acquired land, the Greater Noida Authority gives them 6 per cent, while the Yamuna Authority gives them 7 per cent as compensation for land acquisition.

Second, the farmers are also asking for additional financial compensation based on current market rates. They argue that their land was acquired many years ago at cheap rates whereas the rates are many times higher now. They argue that they became landless as most of their land was acquired and they did not get their due compensation either.

The farmers also want jobs and medical facilities for their families.

What’s the plan today?

The Bharatiya Kisan Parishad-led farmers gathered at the Mahamaya Flyover in Noida at 12.30 pm on Thursday. The plan is simply to march towards the Parliament.

Steps by authorities

While Noida authorities say they are holding talks with the farmer leaders and an amicable solution would be reached soon, mammoth preparations have been made by UP and Haryana to stop the farmers from marching to Parliament.

The Gautam Buddha Nagar police have imposed CrPC Section 144 for Wednesday and Thursday in Noida and Greater Noida.

Haryana Police has also stocked up concrete blocks, barbed wire, sandbags, barricades, and other items at the Shambhu border.

(With agency inputs)