Jagjit Singh Dallewal: the Indian farmer leader on hunger strike for 40 days

In terms of demands, not much has changed from previous agitations. Farmers are pushing for their unmet demands to be met, including a legal guarantee for minimum support prices, a loan debt waiver, pensions for both farmers and farm workers, no increase in electricity tariffs, the restoration of a land acquisition law and Compensation for the families of farmers who died during previous protests.

But analysts say there appears to be a change in the way Modi’s government is responding to this round of protests.

During the 2020 protests, the federal government held multiple rounds of talks with farmers. Senior officials, including India’s then agriculture and food ministers, were part of the negotiations.

Last February, when farmers announced their intention to march on Delhi, key federal ministers held two rounds of talks with their leaders but failed to achieve a breakthrough.

But since then, the federal government appears to have distanced itself from the protests. Last week, when journalists asked Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan whether he would invite the protesting farmers for talks, he said the government would follow any directive given by the apex court.

Experts believe that this time the government is being cautious to avoid a repeat of what happened in 2020. In October that year, a key meeting between the then Agriculture Secretary and farmers’ unions collapsed and catalyzed the year-long protest. duration that followed. .