Farmers protest: How Delhi Chalo 2.0 is different & which groups are leading it this time

Several farmers' unions and associations have announced a 'Delhi Chalo March' on February 13 to hold a protest outside the Parliament House to press for their demands. According to reports, tractor-trolleys in large numbers have set out from different parts of Punjab to join the march. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced that more than 200 farm unions would march to Delhi.

The farmers and farmer organizations - mainly from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan - are demanding the minimum support price (MSP) for their produce. Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, farmers are also demanding 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.

Farmers Protest: What do they want? What is their strategy?

In 2020-2021, India saw a huge protest by farmers, forcing the BJP-led central govt to revoke three controversial farm laws. However, farmers' organizations have undergone significant shifts in the last two years. The number of active farmer organizations has surged to nearly 50, a significant increase from the 32 that joined together in November 2020 to collectively challenge the laws.

Splits in farmers' organizations
The farmer movement, which initially emerged from 32 unions united under the banner of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), has now divided into distinct factions, namely SKM (Punjab), SKM (Non-political), and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM).

Furthermore, on December 25, 2021, 22 unions within SKM formed Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) with the aim to participate in the Punjab assembly elections, led by Balbir Singh Rajewal. However, three significant farm organizations in Punjab - BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), BKU (Ekta Sidhupur), and BKU (Ekta Dakaunda) - opted out of joining SSM.

Subsequently, following its establishment, SSM experienced a series of withdrawals from various organizations. Due to the adverse outcome of contesting elections, SSM lost momentum and reduced to only five farm groups. This group, under Rajewal's leadership, eventually merged with SKM on January 15, 2024.
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Similarly, in Haryana, farm leader Gurnam Charuni founded another party, Sanyukt Sangharsh Party, which faced setbacks.

Presently, SKM (Non-political) is leading the protests. BKU (Ekta Sidhupur), under Jagjit Singh Dallewal, along with smaller groups, established a parallel organization, SKM (Non-Political). This entity includes farm groups from Haryana, Rajasthan, and MP. It allied with Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and organized rallies in Amritsar and Barnala under the banner of “Delhi Chalo 2.0".

Kisan Mazdoor Morcha was initially formed with 18 farmer groups and later renamed as Kisan Mazdoor Morcha Convener. It comprises farm groups from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, and MP, led by Punjab-based Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarvan Singh Pandher.

Although Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) remained intact, it underwent various splinters. Balbir Singh Rajewal and Jagjit Singh Dallewal formed separate groups, but Rajewal, along with four other groups, rejoined SKM on Jan 15.

SKM organized marches across Punjab on Jan 26 and called for a Grameen Bharat Bandh on Feb 16.

Various other groups, including BKU (Rajewal), All India Kisan Federation, Kisan Sangarsh Committee Punjab, BKU (Mansa), and Azad Kisan Sangharsh Committee, formed a coalition during the 2022 polls, subsequently joining SKM.

BKU (Ekta Dakaunda) remains under the leadership of Buta Singh Burjgill, while Ekta Dakaunda (Manjit Dhaner) is headed by Manjit Singh Dhaner.

Punjab's largest farmer group, BAU (Ekta Ugrahan), experienced a split when senior leader Jaswinder Singh Longowal formed BKU (Ekta Azad), which has now allied with KMSC to join the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.