Farmers Unite: Protest Calls Intensify Over Union Budget Neglect

Farmer organisations criticize the Union Budget for ignoring demands for Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantees and loan waivers. They plan protests on February 5, highlighting the budget's deregulation and privatisation measures. The budget is seen as favoring corporates over farmers, with inadequate support for the agriculture sector.

Farmer organisations have strongly criticised the Union Budget, labelling it as 'cruel' for overlooking vital demands such as legally guaranteed Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all crops and farm loan waivers. In response, these groups are planning a significant protest on February 5 against what they consider an 'anti-farmer, anti-worker, anti-poor, and pro-corporate' budget.

According to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), budget proposals for increased deregulation and full privatisation, particularly within the insurance sector, pose a threat amid economic challenges linked to growing corporate dominance across agriculture, manufacturing, and services. The SKM cited the substantial increase in corporate profits as evidence of misplaced priorities.

The discontent has been amplified by the absence of debt relief for farmers, which a Parliamentary committee had previously recommended, further fuelling calls for nationwide protests. The budget's allocation for agriculture, viewed as insufficient by farmer leaders, has heightened their frustration amid ongoing agitations and demands for fair MSP to prevent farmer indebtedness.