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Chandigarh:  Five years after the historic farmers’ agitation that shook the nation, thousands of farmers once again poured into the streets—this time in Chandigarh—to demand what they call the Centre’s biggest unfulfilled promise: a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The massive show of strength at the Sector-43 Dussehra Ground, organised by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on the fifth anniversary of the 2020–21 farm movement, sent a clear political warning to the Narendra Modi-led government: deliver on MSP guarantee or face a new nationwide agitation.

From the stage, farmer leaders announced that a decisive call for a future large-scale national movement will be taken on November 28, signalling that the simmering discontent across rural India may soon boil over into another countrywide confrontation.

Reminder of Modi’s 2021 Promise

Addressing the crowd, farmer leaders recalled that on November 19, 2021—on Guru Purab—Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the repeal of the three controversial farm laws and had also promised the setting up of a special committee to examine a legal framework for MSP.

“Three years later, farmers are still waiting. There is no MSP law, only hollow assurances,” speakers said, triggering loud slogans against the Centre for what they termed a betrayal of trust.

Unlike the earlier phase of protests that encircled Delhi, the decision to hold the rally in Chandigarh—the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana—was deliberate, aimed at sending a stronger political signal to both the Centre and the states.

Free Trade Pact, New Seed Law Raise Alarm

Senior farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal accused the Centre of pushing policies that would open Indian agriculture to multinational corporations. He warned that the India–US Free Trade Agreement under discussion could be disastrous for farmers and alleged that the government was preparing to introduce a new Seed Bill that would force farmers to depend entirely on private corporate seed companies, weakening public agricultural research.

“The Prime Minister claims farmers will be protected, but his policies are taking us into corporate control,” Rajewal said.

Highway Blockade Threat Over Sugar Mill Issue

The rally also issued an immediate ultimatum to the Punjab government, warning that if the Jalandhar Sugar Mill is not made operational without delay, farmers will block highways in Jalandhar on Thursday.

In a rare move, the Chandigarh administration granted unconditional three-hour permission for the rally, indicating the intensity of the mobilisation and the administration’s preparedness to avoid confrontation.

The protest concluded with the submission of a memorandum to Punjab Transport Department Joint Secretary Navraj Singh Barar, formally laying out the farmers’ charter of demands.

Key Demands Raise Stakes for Centre

Along with the MSP guarantee, farmers reiterated a long list of demands, including:

• MSP as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendations

• Loan waiver and pension for farmers and farm labourers

• Re-implementation of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013

• Punishment for the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case

• Scrapping of the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020

• 200 days of work under MGNREGA at ₹700 daily wage

• Tough law against fake seeds, pesticides and fertilisers

• Compensation and government jobs for families of farmers who died during the agitation

• Protection of tribal land under the Fifth Schedule

• Setting up of a National Commission for spices like chilli and turmeric

A Renewed Political Storm Brewing

The Chandigarh rally makes one thing clear: the farmers’ movement is back at the centre of national politics. With elections looming in several states and pressure mounting on the Centre, the MSP question is once again emerging as a potential game-changer in Indian politics.

All eyes are now on November 28, when the Samyukt Kisan Morcha is expected to announce its next big move—one that could once again push the government into a corner.