Delhi Chalo 2.0: Who Is Leading The New Farmers' Protest?

Just over two years ago, the stir at Delhi borders, which had been ongoing for nearly 16 months, was finally called off by farmer unions after the withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws by the Modi government.

The same farmer alliances, with new permutations and combinations, have now issued a call for another "Dilli Chalo" march on February 13 to press for their remaining demands, evoking memories of the agitation that garnered widespread attention.

Delhi Chalo 2.0: Who is leading it?

In anticipation of a recurrence of the 2020 march, precautions are being taken by Delhi Police, who are also avoiding any risks this time. The national capital has been fortified, with its borders reinforced with multi-layer barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails, and walls of containers to discourage the protesting farmers.

Additionally, extensive discussions were held by two Union ministers with farmers, who are demanding a legal guarantee for MSP among other things, on Monday night. However, the talks remained inconclusive, leading to the initiation of Dilli Chalo 2.0.

Farmer Organizations and Alliances:

• SKM (Non-Political): Led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the BKU (Ekta Sidhupur) formed a parallel organization named SKM (Non-Political). It includes farm groups from Haryana, Rajasthan, and MP. They collaborated with the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and conducted rallies in Amritsar and Barnala under the banner of 'Dilli Chalo 2.0'.
• Kisan Mazdoor Morcha: Formed by 18 farmer groups, this block was later renamed Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. The convener is Sarvan Singh Pandher, representing farm groups from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, and MP. It has aligned with SKM (Non-Political) but is not directly involved in Delhi Chalo 2.0.
• Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM): Despite experiencing splits, SKM remains intact. It led marches across Punjab on Jan 26 and called for a Grameen Bharat Bandh on Feb 16. Some splinter groups, such as those led by Balbir Singh Rajewal and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, returned to SKM.

Other Farmer Groups:

• BKU (Rajewal), All India Kisan Federation, Kisan Sangharsh Committee Punjab, BKU (Mansa), and Azad Kisan Sangharsh Committee: These groups formed an entity after the 2022 polls and have joined SKM.
• BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) Split: Punjab's largest farmer group, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), experienced a split, leading to the formation of BKU (Ekta Azad) under the leadership of Jaswinder Singh Longowal. This group has joined hands with KMSC to become part of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
• BKU (Ekta Dakaunda) Split: Another split occurred within BKU (Ekta Dakaunda), resulting in two parallel outfits: BKU (Ekta Dakaunda) and Ekta Dakaunda (Manjit Dhaner).

Demands and Negotiations:

• Apart from a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are advocating for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, and justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, among other demands.
• While a consensus has been reached on certain issues like compensation and withdrawal of cases, a formula has been proposed to address the remaining demands.