Why are the farmers of the Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri districts staging an indefinite dharna at the Loharu Sub-Divisional Magistrate Office since July 16, 2025? More than 100 days of sit-in are still continuing, so why is the government not heeding their demands? What are their demands and what efforts are the farmers making to mould the government?
Dr. Balbir Singh, a farmer leader and one of the active members of the Dharna Committee, alleges that this protest is mainly for the farmers’ Rs 350 crore cotton insurance under Prime minister Fasal Bima Yojana(PMFBY) for the year 2023, which was claimed on the basis of crop cutting, but the insurance company in collusion with the government committed the insurance scam, against which the farmers in Loharu have been continuing their indefinite protest since July 16, 2025.
“Out of Rs. 350 crores, in Bhiwani district alone, the Kharif 2023 cotton insurance claim was made for Rs 312 crore on the basis of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs), but was reduced Rs 95 crore in the name of satellite photo (Technical Yield). Out of the Rs 217 crore deduction, Rs 190 crore was deducted from the villages of Loharu assembly constituency. Therefore, the Loharu SDM office was chosen as the venue for the protest. Another reason is that former Agriculture and Finance Minister JP Dalal had been taking credit for the insurance claims and compensation for crop damage in the last nine years at every stage. Therefore, he was reportedly held responsible for the insurance claim deduction; his constituency (Loharu) was chosen for the protest,” states Dr. Singh.
Stating the PMFBY scheme as faulty and favourable only to the private insurance companies, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the largest umbrella of farmers’ unions, demands the setting of a government undertaking insurance company on the lines of LIC.
“The flagship, pro-corporate scheme of Prime Minister Fazal Bima Yojana PMFBY has been proved a colossal failure in the context of the vast losses of crops, live stocks and life in various states due to the unprecedented flood and landslides.
FLOOD HIT AREA -HARYANA -PHOTO-1- CREDIT DR. INDERJEET.
AIKS LEADERS VISITING FLOOD-HIT AREAS–PHOTO CREDIT DR. INDERJEET.
Since 2017, Rs. 2.83 lakh crore has been collected in PMFBY as subsidy from the governments and premium from the farmers but only 1.80 lakh crore has been disbursed, making a huge profit of one lakh crores to the corporate companies at the expenditure of the farmers. SKM demands scrapping the PMFBY and setting up an Insurance Corporation for crops and livestock in the public sector in cooperation with the state governments like the successful model of LIC,” SKM states in a press release issued on October 31, 2025.
SKM has raised other issues also related to the farmers — Administrative Failure in Flood / Landslide affected States, Meagre compensation for damaged houses during floods, etc. Denying loan waiver to affected households and Harassment of farmers in the name of stubble burning.
SKM warns that it will unleash mass struggles, wherever necessary, to pressurise the state and district administration to conduct physical verification to assess the loss suffered by the people. In the states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand, there prevails administration failure in uploading data in the public domain without which the victim households will never be compensated. SKM urged its member organisations to rally victims and affected people to demand immediate survey, ensure compensation equal to actual loss, reparation to the agricultural workers and tenant farmers also.
Slamming the help extended for damaged houses, SKM states that Punjab has declared a paltry sum of Rs. 1.2 lakh and Uttarakhand Rs.0.95 lakh to fully damaged pucca houses reflecting the cruel and insensitive attitude of the respective state government while Himachal Pradesh has announced Rs.7 lakh. SKM demands holding public village panchayats supervised by the lekhpals and secretaries to submit detailed reports of losses.
SKM further adds that massive losses of crops, assets, and life are reported in the Mantha cyclone also. The Modi Government is not ready to declare the vast, unprecedented natural calamity experienced by various states as a national disaster. The amendments made in April 2025 to remove Section 13 and Section 12 of the Disaster Management Act to deny loan waivers for victims of severe natural calamities reveals the cruel mind-sets of the government. The amendments were aimed at evading the pressure of the High Court of Kerala that endorsed to provide loan waiver relief to the victims of the colossal tragedy of Wayanad landslides in Kerala that claimed 298 lives in July 2024. SKM demands immediately repeal the anti-people amendments and provide complete loan waivers / interest waiver for the next three years for the entire flood-and landslide affected households across India including in Wayanad, Kerala.
SKM has also reiterated the demand for a Judicial Enquiry under a sitting SC judge on the major causes of flood and landslides especially in the states in the sensitive Himalaya regions without any environment impact study and to propose remedial measures for protecting life and livelihood. Massive tree logging and real estate developments in hills, massive deforestation and loss of agricultural ridges in coastal areas should be addressed. The Union Government has to extend compensation of Rs. 1 lakh crore for all calamity-affected states, including Rs.25000 crore for Punjab to rebuild the social and economic life of victims. SKM will soon announce a People’s Commission on flood and climatic change and ensure the preliminary report within three months.
SKM delegations will meet the district collectors to give a memorandum on 4th November 2025 or any other date before 10th November 2025 and will also raise the demand to increase the moisture limit on paddy procurement from 17% to 22% across India.
The SKM memorandum will also raise the serious issue of harassment of farmers in the name of stubble burning as the respective state governments have the responsibility to ensure stubble bales are removed from the fields so that sowing for wheat will not be affected. SKM will not tolerate the arrest and harassment of farmers.
Punjab farmers union ‘Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Dakounda’ also has warned the government not to harass farmers who have to burn stubble out of compulsion. Referring to the decision of the union, Press Secretary Angrez Singh Bhadaur shared, “Meanwhile, farmers are being made aware by holding rallies in all districts of Punjab against the austerity imposed on farmers who are forced to burn stubble and against the lack of DAP. The organization is of the opinion that we will not encourage farmers to burn stubble, but if any farmer burns stubble in the absence of machinery or compensation provided by the government to the farmers, then the organization will strongly oppose any austerity being imposed against him.”
The Punjab farmers union, during its meeting held on October 31 under the chairmanship of Manjit Singh Dhaner, also decided to oppose the Electricity Amendment Bill 2025 with full force.
The meeting passed that the Electricity Amendment Bill-2025 is being brought by the central government in violation of the promise made to the farmers and this is a ploy to implement privatization in the field of electricity distribution. Therefore, on the call of the SKM, there is a program to march towards Chandigarh on November 26. The organization will participate in it with full enthusiasm.
The meeting hailed the ongoing farmers’ movement in Nagpur, Maharashtra. “Anger against the pro-corporate and anti-people policies of the Modi government is being expressed through various forms of protest. The organization felt that the farmers’ protest in Maharashtra is a normal phenomenon.”
To resolve the grievances and facilitate the farmers of the country, the governments will have to listen to them sympathetically and frame the policies favourable to the food provider. The governments should follow Gandhiji philosophy wherein the Mahatma used to say that decisions should be made keeping in mind how the decisions would help the last man in the queue.
