Farmers Announce Tractor March On January 26

New Delhi: Farmers protesting at the Punjab - Haryana border have announced a nationwide tractor march scheduled for January 26. 

This comes amid the ongoing hunger strike by farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite fast since November 26 at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana. 

He has also declined medical assistance offered by the Punjab government.

The farmers, demanding a legal guarantee for minimum support prices (MSP) for crops, have been staging protests under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. 

They have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13, 2024, after their march to Delhi was blocked by security forces.

In 2021, a similar tractor protest by farmers was arranged on January 26. Protesters stormed the historic Red Fort, clashing with police, and unfurled a flag alongside the national tricolor. 

The 2021 protests were sparked by three farm laws introduced in September 2021, which farmers feared would empower large corporations to exploit them, leading to financial hardship.