Farmers' Body Holds Mashaal Yatra at Tikri Border, Announce the Re-Start of Protests

To commemorate the first anniversary of the deferment of farmers' agitation, farmers from Punjab and Haryana marched today on foot from the old bus terminal in Bahadurgarh town to the Tikri border.

To prevent them from entering the national capital, the Delhi police erected barricades on the border areas. Following the march, which was a component of the ‘Mashaal Yatra’ undertaken by farmers from Hussainiwala to the Tikri border to raise demands including waiving farmers' loans and legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops, vehicular traffic remained delayed for an hour.

Farmer leaders are claiming that although the central government had promised to meet their demands when the farmers' protest was postponed on December 11 of last year, some of them still remain unfulfilled.

They further said that if the outstanding demands are not satisfied quickly, they won't think twice about marching into Chandigarh to gherao the Haryana Assembly.

Following the conclusion of the ‘Mashaal Yatra', farmers associated with the Bhartiya Sangharsh Samiti (BKSS) announced the restart of the protests to urge their demand for MSP and other issues on Saturday.

Post the march, the union also honored the farmers who had lost their lives during the massive farmers' protest against farm laws at the Tikri and Singhu borders earlier.

Owing to the Mashaal Yatra’ and farmer rally taking place next to the new bus stop on New Delhi Road in Bahadurgarh, a significant police presence was noticed. Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, which is associated with the BKSS, also declared to extend its support to deliberate on the agitation to be staged on January 26, the Republic Day of India.

During the march, the speakers reaffirmed their backing of the SKM and other groups on all matters involving the welfare of farmers.

The massive protests were witnessed by farmers demanding the repeal of farm laws brought by the ruling Narendra Modi-led government in the year 2020. However, the Centre had to take back the laws after facing a huge backlash from the farmers and various farmer unions.

On the auspicious day of Gurupurab in 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the three farm laws, the subject of extensive farmer protests at the time, would be repealed. He then pleaded with the farmers to calm down and return home.

Addressing the nation, Modi asserted that the legislation would have helped the farmers. He also expressed regret to the people and said that despite having a clear conscience and a good heart, the administration was unable to convince all farmers.

When former President Ram Nath Kovind granted his consent in September 2020, the three "Agriculture Bills" that had previously been approved by the Indian Parliament became acts. These Farm Acts are as follows:

1. Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020

2. Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020

3. Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020