Hundreds of farmers from across the country converged at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday for the kisan mahapanchayat organised by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM).
The gathering revived debates around farmers’ rights, reminding the government that several commitments made after the 2020-21 farm stir still remain unfulfilled.
At the core of the protest is the demand for a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP). Farmers stressed that the MSP should not be limited to staple crops but must also include dairy, poultry and fisheries. They argued that only a legal framework can protect cultivators from volatile markets and unchecked private profiteering. Vinod Nirwal, a farmer from Samli, said, “Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and West UP have gathered in Delhi to raise their voice. Our demand is simple-fix the price of crops on the basis of the C2+50 formula.” “The government has completely destroyed farmers. If a poor man gets cancer, he dies because he cannot afford Rs 50 lakh for treatment. There is no savings left in villages, our children are forced to work in the cities for Rs 12,000 instead of farming,” he said.
Farmers also raised concerns about agriculture being included in future India-US trade deals. They fear that opening dairy and poultry sectors to international competition would undermine small producers and destabilise rural livelihoods. Virendra, from Shahmedi in Sonipat, said, “The government stopped talking about the MSP Guarantee Law and other crucial issues like free trade in America. Farmers are struggling with rising inflation, expensive pesticides and lack of money. Without an MSP guarantee, we will be forced to sell our crops at a loss.”
The mahapanchayat also renewed demands for the withdrawal of police cases filed during the 2020-21 farm stir. Farmers claimed these cases were politically driven and continue to serve as tools of harassment.
Bhuta Singh, from Malkana village, added, “We have gathered because of the corruption that farmers like us are forced to face. I even had to go to jail because of these issues. The youth are now stepping forward to continue this fight. We want the government to finally listen to our demands.”
To manage the gathering, the Delhi Police deployed 1,200 personnel. The SKM leaders clarified that the protest was peaceful and intended as a reminder to the government rather than a confrontation.
Manjeet Singh, from Manala village, said, “This mahapanchayat is not just about one state-it is the collective voice of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and nearly 18 states across the country. We have come together to demand justice and to ensure that the government takes concrete steps to resolve the crisis farmers are facing.”
Hansveer from Gumana said, “The government must listen to the farmers and fulfill its promise of ensuring MSP. They had committed to this years ago, but the laws were broken and prices manipulated. If the government still refuses to listen, we will continue our fight and start a long movement. Without MSP, farmers and labourers will fall into debt trap and the agrarian crisis will only deepen.”