Farm Protest: 101 Farmers Begin Journey to Delhi; Everything to Know About the Protesters' Demands

In a major development, a 'Jatha' of 101 farmers is headed for the national capital Delhi today starting from the Shambhu Border near Ambala. Organised by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, non-political organizations that have been the lead voice of the ongoing farm protest in India. The march, which starts at 1 pm, is part of a broader movement marking the 297th day of protests against the government.
As security is tightened on the Ambala-Delhi border, the local administration invoked Section 163 of the BNSS, restricting public congregations and processions. The authorities have put in place multi-layer barricading and deployed paramilitary forces to prevent the marchers from advancing without permission. It has been in place since Thursday with the police keeping a sharp eye on the situation.
The farmers’ march coincides with the ongoing hunger strike at the Khanauri border, which has now entered its 11th day. This march is the second such attempt this week. On Monday, a similar march towards Parliament was blocked at the Noida border, resulting in significant traffic disruptions. The detained farmers were later sent to jail for attempting to proceed without permission.
What are the Farmers' Demands?
The minimum support price or MSP is one of the foremost demands of the farmers marching towards Delhi. This has always been a core issue in the struggle for better agricultural policies by farmers. Aside from these, they are clamoring for justice for those victimized by the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that happened in 2021. Other demands include a freeze on hikes of electricity tariffs and set of reforms to improve livelihoods for farmers and laborers.
Farmers in Noida and Greater Noida have also raised complaints over the acquisition of land. They have demanded compensation in the form of 10% of abadi plots or equivalent compensation for lands acquired since 1997 for industrial development.