2021 vs 2024: A tale of two farmer protests

Ever since the farmer unions from Punjab gave a call for ‘Delhi Chalo’ march for February 13, the Union government swung into action to ensure that their agitation doesn’t turn out to be a repeat of the anti-farm law stir of 2020.

The government deputed three Union ministers to initiate dialogue with the protesting farmer organisations and they held four rounds of talks in less than a couple of weeks. Moreover, the Union ministers on Sunday proposed the buying of pulses, maize and cotton crops by government agencies at minimum support prices (MSP) for five years after entering into an agreement with the farmers.

The farmer leaders said they will discuss the government’s proposal in their forums over the next two days and thereafter, decide the future course of action.

Govt stance

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Union minister Piyush Goyal said, “Cooperative societies like the NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers Federation) and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) will enter into a contract with those farmers who grow tur dal, urad dal, masoor dal or maize for buying their crop at MSP for next five years,” said Goyal.

There will be no limit on the quantity (purchased) and a portal will be developed for this, he said. It will save Punjab’s farming, improve the groundwater table, and save the land from getting barren which is already under stress, he added.

Different strategy

Undoubtedly, there’s a marked difference in the strategy of the Union government now as compared to the 2020 stir that sparked a massive outrage, forcing it to repeal three controversial farm laws after intense protests lasting for more than a year.

The ruling dispensation this time around appeared more keen on engaging with the farmers, immediately despatching ministers to have parleys. The BJP has also sent its spokespersons to participate in debates on farmer protests while ministers like Arjun Munda and Anurag Thakur have spoken about the need to deescalate the situation and voiced their willingness to discuss farmers’ demands.

Sources said the BJP is playing safe this time with elections around the corner. The party understands that farmer protests are bad optics, particularly at a time when the government has conferred Bharat on former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh and noted agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan. The party is also aware that the farmers form a massive constituency and it won’t be prudent to antagonise them ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Ministers, not bureaucrats

This also explains the Centre’s alacrity in deploying three Union ministers – Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai – to hold talks with the farmers on February 8, days ahead of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.

Since then, four rounds of talks have been held, with the latest one on Sunday.

In 2020, the Centre first sent bureaucrats to hold talks. When the move failed, the government constituted a committee under the then agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Despite 11 rounds, talks remained inconclusive. However, this time the Centre’s decision to rush its ministers for talks as an immediate response clearly shows its intent to avoid past mistakes.

While the government resorted to “course correction”, the BJP’s response this time around is also more measured. The party is apparently using influencers to counter the demand for legal guarantee of MSP instead of attacking it.

Lacks intensity

Unlike the stir in 2020, this year’s farmers’ protest lacks both strength and intensity, as the majority of the farmers' unions have distanced themselves from it and are competing with each other. Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, leader of SKM (non-political), are at the forefront now.

Interestingly, the landscape of the farmers' unions has changed in the last few years. Delhi Chalo 2.0 has been announced by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. Samyukt Kisan Morcha and Bharatiya Kisan Union, which led the 2020 protest of farmers, have since split into several factions.

Missing in action

Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Chaduni were the two main leaders who led the 2020 protest. However, they have been missing from the current protest.

Big guns like Balbir Singh Rajewal, Rakesh Tikait, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Joginder Singh Ugrahan, besides others, have announced separate protests to express solidarity with the farmers. They are, however, shying away from joining the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march which has been stopped by the Haryana police on two interstate borders.

Interestingly, the 2020-21 farmers' protest drew support from almost all sections of society from students, employees, politicians and activists, besides singers and filmmakers. However, the renewed farmer agitation even lacks direct support from the farmers’ unions.

Pre-emptive measures

In 2020, the farmers had entered the national capital and were staging protests at Singhu border and Tikri border. However, this time the administration has adopted strict pre-emptive measures to stop them from entering Delhi.

They have used nails on roads, cement barricades and barbed wire to block all roads to Delhi. The government has imposed Section 144 across the capital. The Haryana government has also sealed its borders along with Punjab. The authorities have succeeded in their effort as the protesting farmers could not proceed beyond Shambhu border and Khanauri border in Punjab.

Drones and kites

The Haryana police had been using drones to drop tear gas canisters on protesting farmers, apart from using rubber bullets against them. On the other hand, the farmers are flying kites in a bid to counter the drones and are also using barricade-proof modified tractors and gas masks.

Apart from this, in 2020, the farmers were protesting against the three farm laws which were finally repealed in 2021. These laws were -- The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

However, the ongoing protests focus on demands like a legal guarantee to MSP for all crops, full debt waiver for farmers, withdrawal of cases filed against farmers during the 2020-21 protest, the implementation of Swaminathan Commission's formula and pension for farmers and labourers.