Madhya Pradesh Farmers' Day-Long Protest At Highway Over MSP Suspended

A massive farmers' protest that began in the early hours of Monday at the Khalghat toll plaza in Madhya Pradesh's Dhamnod was suspended late at night, ending hours of blockade and tension on National Highway 52. 

The agitation, led by the Rashtriya Mazdoor Kisan Mahasangh (RMKM), drew nearly 5,000 farmers from the Dhar, Barwani, Khargone, and Khandwa districts.

The farmers were demanding a guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP), loan waivers, and action on several long-pending issues. To mark their protest, farmers blocked the national highway by placing felled trees across the road, bringing traffic to a standstill for the entire day.

Around 8 pm, Dhar Collector Priyank Mishra, Dhar SP Mayank Awasthi, and Khargone SP held discussions with farmer leaders at the protest site. With tensions rising, the administration imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS) across Dhar district and deployed nearly 400 police personnel to prevent escalation.

After hours of negotiation, farmers agreed to temporarily suspend the protest and submitted a memorandum to Collector Mishra.

Farmers' union leaders formally read out their memorandum listing their unmet demands. Collector Mishra assured the crowd that all demands would be forwarded to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and PM Modi. A delegation of farmers would travel to Delhi, accompanied by Union Minister of State Savitri Thakur, to raise the issues directly with the government.

Following these assurances, RMKM leaders announced a pause in the agitation.

The key demands included guaranteed MSP for all crops, loan waivers for distressed farmers, exemption from the Land Pooling Act, and fourfold compensation in cases of land acquisition.

Farmers alleged that despite repeated applications and appeals, the administration had taken no concrete steps for months, leaving them with no option but to protest.

Thousands of farmers arrived early morning with tractor-trolleys, blocking a long stretch of NH-52. Traffic remained severely disrupted, with police forced to divert vehicles and increase deployment.

The administration had earlier cautioned that any attempt to block the highway would not be tolerated, but the swelling numbers overwhelmed traffic control measures.

RMKM leader Gopal Patidar stated that the farmers' demands are "completely justified" and warned, "If our issues are not addressed, the agitation will continue for a long time."

Though temporarily suspended, the Khalghat protest has signalled growing unrest among farmers across the region and a warning to the government that patience is running out.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)