In Photos: Farmers Reiterate MSP Demand at Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat in Delhi

“Why is the farmer still poor; the govt must answer this question,” Hansraj Rana, a farmer from Haryana’s Jind said.

Thousands of farmers and agricultural workers gathered in central Delhi to take part in the Mahapanchayat, which was organised by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha – an umbrella body of at least 37 farmers’ outfits.

(Image: PTI)

“Why shouldn’t a farmer get to decide how much he wants to sell his produce for?” asked farmer Harvinder Singh, who had travelled from Punjab’s Sri Muktsar Sahib district to Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan to participate in the Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat on Thursday, 14 March. 

Thousands of farmers and agricultural workers gathered in central Delhi to take part in the Mahapanchayat, which was organised by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha – an umbrella body of at least 37 farmers’ outfits.

“Why is the farmer still poor; the government must answer this question,” 54-year-old Hansraj Rana, a farmer from Haryana’s Jind district, said. Rana asserted that this is an “economic issue” and demanded the government to fix the minimum support price (MSP) of crops in line with Swaminathan Commission’s C2+50% formula.  

The formula, in the MS Swaminathan Committee’s report, recommended the MSP be 1.5 times the input cost borne by the farmers to give 50 percent profit margin. The input cost, or C2, includes the rent on the land, cost of seeds, fertilizers, electricity and hired labour.  

Labelling the Rs 6,000 annual direct transfer under the central government’s PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme as “drop-sized help,” Rana demanded that the MSP of foodgrains, including wheat and rice, be increased and adjusted for inflation.

34-year-old Daljit Singh, hailing from Patiala in Punjab, and a member of BKU (Lakhowal), told The Quint that the organisation has five demands from the Central government – 1. that the MSP should be a legal guarantee and that it should be calculated according to the Swaminathan Commission report; 2. Justice should be given in the Lakhimpur Kheri case 3. To keep agriculture out of the ambit of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), alleging it would prevent corporatisation of agriculture; 4. Waiving off loans taken by farmers completely; and 5. Increasing farmer’s income 

In October 2021, eight people – including four farmers and a journalist – were allegedly mowed down by an SUV driven by Ashish Mishra in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri. Ashish, the son of union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra, is out on bail. 

Jaipal Danoda, a farmer from Haryana’s Jind district, said that farmers organisations were distressed by the Centre’s “misbehaviour” towards them. “On the one hand, you call us annadaata (provider of food) and on the other, you laathi charge us,” he lamented. Reiterating his demand for increasing the MSP on crops, Jaipal also sought 300 units of free electricity to work in his fields on the lines of Delhi and Punjab.  

“The MSP on paddy is supposed to be Rs 2,203 per quintal. But we have managed to sell it at Rs 1,800 per quintal,” he lamented and added that they will continue to protest till their demands are met. 

24-year-old Mukesh Jyani, a farmer growing peanuts in Rajasthan’s Bikaner, too complained that he was not getting the MSP for his crop. He claimed that though the MSP for peanut is Rs 6,350 per quintal, he was being forced to sell it for Rs 5,000 per quintal. “I have total crop of 200 quintals. So, if you calculate, I made losses worth Rs 2,70,000 this season,” he mourned.

He even alleged that he had not got a single rupee in claims despite giving regular premium under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).  

Farmers also have the support of workers as well as MGNREGA mates, Samunder Singh Danoda, Haryana President of the MGNREGA Mate Mazdoor Samiti, said. He claimed the policies of the BJP-led government at the state and central level have led to joblessness for workers and middle-class traders.  He demanded that MGNREGA mates should be made permanent, workers should be given 100 days of jobs as promised and that minimum wages should be increased in line with inflation.  

Simran Kulriyan, hailing from Mann in Punjab and a spokesperson of the Punjab Kisan Union, told The Quint: “When the government under PM Modi had come to power, they had given the slogan of Congress-mukt Bharat. But they went on to have a sawaal-mukt media, andolan-mukt sadak and vipaksh mukt sansad. These aspects are very dangerous for the functioning of a democracy,” 

Kulriyan demanded that the government should waive off loans for the farmers and devise a way in which farmers don’t have to take any loans and are free of this vicious cycle.

Nearly a month after they were not allowed to enter the capital city, the Delhi Police had permitted holding the Mahapanchayat with riders such as no tractor trolleys, and no march at the maidan.