Farmers in Punjab held tractor parades on India’s 76th Republic Day, using the national holiday to call for important changes in agricultural policies. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a group of various farmer organizations, organized these events. Parades took place in different parts of the state, with farmers driving tractors to show their unity and determination.
The main thing the protesting farmers want is a legal promise of minimum support price (MSP). This price would be based on the C2 plus 50 percent formula that the Swaminathan Committee suggested. Essentially, they are asking for a price that covers all their costs plus a 50 percent profit. This would help them receive fair payment for their crops.
Furthermore, the parades aimed to bring attention to other difficulties farmers are facing. Farmers are requesting complete forgiveness of their loans, which would help those struggling with debt. Also, they are against the idea of making electricity private. They believe this could raise costs. Lastly, they oppose taking away the National Policy Framework on Agriculture, fearing it could harm their jobs and income.
These Republic Day protests show how unhappy farmers are with current agricultural rules. They have been protesting for a while, and this event keeps the push for better policies going. Leaders of the protests have said they will keep demonstrating until the government accepts their demands. Their actions are meant to increase pressure on the government to make changes.
The protests across Punjab have brought attention to the problems farmers are dealing with and the ongoing debate about farming policies in India. Many people are now aware of these important issues. The demonstrations underscore the need to have a dialogue to create a system that will benefit farmers across the country.