In India, Police Detain Farmers Demanding Higher Crop Prices

The police in Punjab, located in northern India, have detained hundreds of farmers who have been protesting for over a year for higher prices for their crops. As part of the operation, authorities also used bulldozers to dismantle temporary protest camps.

This is reported by AgroReview

Among those detained were protest leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal. The latter, who had been on a hunger strike for several months, was taken away by ambulance.

“We did not need to use force as there was no resistance. The farmers cooperated well and boarded the buses themselves,” said senior police officer Nanak Singh.

Additionally, he pointed out that the farmers had been informed in advance about the police actions. The detentions come amid prolonged negotiations taking place between farmer leaders and the government.

The farmers are urging the government to legally guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, and their protests have been ongoing for more than a year. They have set up camp at the border with the neighboring state of Haryana, blocking a major transport artery leading to the capital, New Delhi.

It is noteworthy that since last year, farmer leaders and government representatives have held several rounds of negotiations, but no progress has been made in resolving the conflict. The latest, seventh round of talks concluded on Wednesday, with the next meeting scheduled for May 4, 2025.