Indian police arrested hundreds of farmers in northern Punjab on Thursday, flattening a camp that was built more than a year ago using bulldozers.
Farm protesters wanted the government to increase agricultural subsidies and raise crop prices.
Farm protesters tried march They pressed their demands in the capital of New Delhi in February 2024, but when their march was stopped at the Punjab border by security forces, they threw several temporary camps and settled for what was proven to be a 13-month stay.
List of request Protesters included guaranteed minimum prices for crops, farm workers' pension schemes, power from farm subsidies, and farm debt forgiveness. They also hope that police will drop the case against farm protesters, coupled with more serious investigations. Brutal attack They claimed eight casualties against farmers in 2021.
The Punjab government has indulged in peasant protest camps until protesters elicited complaints about traffic blocking protesters and the changing political fate of Punjab's governing AAM Aadmi Party (AAP). prompt State officials take action.
The protesters went through seven rounds of consultations with Punjabi officials in January without reaching an agreement to end the demonstration and disband the camp. Local businesses complained of great losses as the protest camp was blocking two important intersections from Punjab to nearby Haryana.
Political terms, the AAP is a rather young party that once had a big dream of becoming a national force, but today it only controls the Punjab state government. The party has received intense criticism from the opposition rivals of the Indian Parliament Party (Pace), and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governing party for allowing farm protesters to run wild.
Polls showed public support in Punjab, especially as protesters declined, especially in large cities that suffered from the loss of traffic across borders. As most farm protesters were, there were also religious and cultural aspects to the crisis. Sikhs – The majority religions of Punjab – The business world of the state is primarily Hindus.
Punjab's AAP government has stuck to the vague hope that the Congress party will win a big victory in Haryana election In October, farm protesters allowed them to march through Haryana to New Delhi, completing the journey that began in February 2024. Those hopes were shattered when Modi's BJP party, who appears to have lost steam in the last national election, held the royal family in embrace and held it out of Haryana rule.
Farm protest leaders say how suddenly and quickly Punjabi officials are, It moved To split the protest camp on Thursday, however, after the seven-round lecture in January went anywhere, the handwriting was on the wall.
Police said there was “no resistance” as protesters were warned about the clearance operation in advance. In addition to bulldozing on their tents and stages, police have detained hundreds of demonstrators, including athletic leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal. Darewal was removed from the ambulance.
The AAP leaders claimed they still support the farmers and their demands, but they could no longer tolerate the chaos at the state's borders.
“Let's work together to protect the interests of Punjab. Closing the highway is not the solution,” Punjab Vice President Tarunpreet Singh Sond wrote on social media platform X.
The farm protests angered the AAP for throwing it along with business leaders in deep pockets, becoming a submissive bunch of the BJP party.
Movement spokesman I said Hindus All the movement leaders will join Dalewal on his hunger strike on Friday.
“We are all afraid of arrests and have not gone to our homes. Both the BJP and the AAP are behind this conspiracy against farmers,” the spokesman said.
