- Farmers from Punjab-Haryana and Noida-Greater Noida have resumed their protest against the central government over various issues, including Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
- The farmers of Noida-Greater Noida have called off their protest after getting assurance from the government, while the farmers of Punjab-Haryana have announced a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 13 with more than 200 farmer unions.
- The Haryana government has imposed a ban on mobile internet services, bulk SMS, and all dongle services in seven districts from February 11 to February 13, citing fears of disturbance of peace and public order.
Background
- The farmers’ protest is a continuation of the agitation that started in 2020 against the three farm laws passed by the central government, which the farmers claim are anti-farmer and pro-corporate.
- The farmers have been demanding the repeal of the farm laws, a legal guarantee of MSP, pension and crop insurance facilities, cancellation of cases registered against protesters, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, and justice for the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
- The central government has held several rounds of talks with the farmer leaders, but no breakthrough has been achieved so far. The government has offered to suspend the farm laws for 18 months and set up a committee to resolve the issues, but the farmers have rejected the proposal.
Current Situation
- The situation on the Haryana-Punjab border is very tense, as the farmers have started gathering for the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. The government has sealed the borders of the districts around the border and deployed heavy security forces. The police have increased their surveillance and the Director General of Police (DGP) of the state is in constant touch with the police captains of the respective areas.
- The farmers have said that they will march towards Delhi through tractor-trolleys and have started collecting wheat and other food items from the villages, indicating their intention to camp for a long time. The farmers have also warned that they will intensify their protest if their demands are not met.
- The Haryana government has issued an order to suspend mobile internet services, bulk SMS, and all dongle services in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa districts from 6 am on February 11 to 11.30 pm on February 13. The order said that the decision was taken as some organizations have been protesting against the call of farmers march and there is a possibility of tension, unrest, protests, damage to public and private property, and disturbance of peace in these districts.
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