<h5>Why are the farmers protesting again?</h5><p>Two years ago, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.newsahoot.com/articles/farmers-protest-in-delhi-again">Indian farmers</a> protested against the government regarding minimum support price (MSP), unemployment, etc. It was a massive <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.newsahoot.com/articles/what-were-the-farmers-protests-all-about">protest</a> that went on for months. Now, the farmers are protesting again and marching towards Delhi to make their voices heard.</p><p>Some of the reasons they have started protesting again are:</p><ul><li>Farmers demand legal assurance of a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops and a proper determination of crop prices. The MSP is the price at which the government buys the farmer's produce, regardless of supply. It acts as a safety net for farmers and helps them avoid losses.</li><li>They are also demanding a full debt waiver for farmers and labourers.</li><li>They also want pensions for farmers and farm labourers.</li><li>They are demanding compensation for farmers who died during the earlier protests in Delhi, plus a job for one family member.</li><li>Each year, two hundred days of employment instead of 100 days must be provided under MGNREGA.</li><li>Punishment for companies who produce false seeds, herbicides, and fertilisers. They also want improvements in seed quality.</li><li>They want the government to ensure indigenous people have proper rights to water, forests, and land.</li><li>Another demand is the removal of a minister whose son is accused of ploughing his car into farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri area in October 2021.</li><li>Farmers are also protesting against the planned privatisation of the electrical sector. State governments presently provide farmers with cheap electricity, which helps them reduce farming costs. They fear private companies will charge them more.</li><li>They also want the government to keep its commitment to double the farmers’ incomes. Farmers say that cultivation expenses have risen in recent years while incomes have remained unchanged, turning farming into a loss-making operation.</li></ul><p>These are some of the demands of the farmers protesting this time.</p><h5>Which farmers are participating in the present protests?</h5><p>Farmer organisations from Punjab and Haryana and unions from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh are participating in this protest. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee are leading the protests.</p><p>The organisers say over 200 unions are participating in the protest march and are moving towards Delhi. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) is a group that separated from the original Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) in 2022. The original SKM had participated in the earlier protests.</p><p>Currently, the farmers are moving towards Delhi and might reach the city soon. They have also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to solve their problems.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/farmers-protest-again-in-2024%2FBarricade.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=b0b17bf8-2166-4db6-a864-826e9c3337f7"><figcaption>Barricades installed to stop the farmers. Photo by The Hindu.</figcaption></figure><h5>How has the government responded to the protest?</h5><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/farmers-protest-again-in-2024%2FTear%20Gas.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=94cf4876-d5d2-4956-a03c-e2620394f052"><figcaption>Tear gas fired by the police. Photo by The Hindu.</figcaption></figure><p>A team of government officials and ministers has attempted to talk with the protesting farmers, but the conversations have generated no results. On 13th February 2024, Indian police tear-gassed and arrested farmers who clashed with them at the Haryana-Punjab border.</p><p>Police also shot tear gas canisters at one of the border crossings in northern Haryana, which connects to Delhi. Barricades have been placed on highways leading to Delhi, along with other tight security measures to ensure farmers don't reach the nation’s capital city. However, the farmers are also trying to remove the barriers to reach Delhi.</p><h5>Update</h5><p>As per the latest reports, the farmers have decided to postpone their planned protest march to New Delhi. This is because there are plans to hold another meeting with government ministers on 18th February 2024. The protesting farmers are going to stay at the Punjab and Haryana borders for now.</p>

Farmers had also protested against the government a few years ago.

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Farmers Protest Again in 2024

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