Farmers and trade union leaders said the nationwide protests were aimed at reminding the government of its pending commitments and pressing for their implementation.
NEW DELHI: Farmers’ organisations and trade unions staged joint protests across the country on Monday, including a demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, over a range of pending demands. Protesters alleged that several commitments made by the central government had not yet been implemented.
Demonstrations in different states included ‘Jail Bharo’ (fill the prisons) and ‘Road Roko’ (block the roads) agitations as farmers and workers sought to put pressure on the government to act on their demands.
Farmers Demand Legal Guarantee for MSP
Farmers’ organisations demanded a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), agricultural loan waivers, withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during previous protests and measures to protect farmers’ livelihoods and interests.
Leaders said the nationwide mobilisation was intended to remind the government of its earlier assurances and push for concrete action. They warned that protests could be intensified if their demands remained unresolved.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Delhi-based farmer Rajeev Yadav said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had called the protests against the alleged failure to fulfil commitments made to farmers during the agitation against the three farm laws.
According to Yadav, those assurances included a legal guarantee for MSP, farm loan waivers and withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the protests.
He said farmers from Delhi, Haryana and neighbouring states also participated in Monday’s mobilisation to press the government to fulfil its commitments.
Trade Unions Join Farmers
Trade union leader Satish Panwar said workers were also protesting over issues related to employment, labour rights, minimum wages and protection of the public sector.
He alleged that the government had made several commitments concerning employment and workers’ rights but was now taking steps that could weaken labour protections.
Panwar said workers and farmers from states including Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan participated in the joint mobilisation.
He also expressed concern over trade agreements being pursued by the government, arguing that they could affect small and medium-sized farmers.
Workers Demand ₹42,000 Minimum Wage
According to Panwar, key demands of the workers include a minimum wage of ₹42,000 and convening the Indian Labour Conference (ILC).
Trade unions are also seeking measures to protect the public sector and strengthen workers’ rights.
Panwar said the solidarity between farmers and labour organisations had grown stronger since the farmers’ movement, with both groups increasingly coordinating on issues concerning livelihoods, employment and economic rights.
Protests Reported Across Multiple States
P. Krishna Prasad, a member of the coordination committee of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, said farmers and trade unions had organised large-scale protests in several states to raise their demands.
According to farmer unions, the nationwide ‘Jail Bharo’ campaign called by central trade unions and the SKM saw significant participation across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Puducherry and Tripura, among other regions.
The mobilisation brought together farmers, agricultural workers, industrial workers, Anganwadi and ASHA workers, students, youth, women and other sections of the working population.
The organisations said the protests would continue and could be intensified if the government failed to address their outstanding demands.
