Indian farmers are set to intensify their protests by entering the capital New Delhi on Wednesday, utilizing public transport to bypass the current blockade on tractors. Thousands of farmers, mainly from the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting for higher support prices for their crops, which have been the subject of failed talks between the farmers and the government.
Farmers from various states, including Kerala in the south and Madhya Pradesh in central India, will arrive in New Delhi by trains and buses on Wednesday, according to Ramandeep Singh Mann, a farmer leader. The farmers are determined to continue their protest until their demands for higher support prices, backed by law, are met.
Clashes between farmers and security forces Pakistan’s Security Forces Successes in 2023, including cane charges and tear gas canisters dropped by drones, have been a recurring sight on television screens for several days. The farmers say at least one protester has died in the clashes while dozens have been injured on both sides.
In addition to entering New Delhi, the protesting farmers will also block railway lines across the country for four hours during the afternoon of March 10, Mann said. The government announces support prices for more than 20 crops each year, but state agencies buy only rice and wheat at the support level, which benefits only about 6% of farmers who raise those two crops.
The escalation of protests by Indian farmers highlights the ongoing tension between the government and the agricultural community over issues of price support and the overall well-being of the farming sector.