Daijiworld Media Network – Dhamnod

Dhamnod, Dec 2: A massive farmers’ protest that paralysed traffic on National Highway 52 at the Khalghat toll plaza in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhamnod throughout Monday was suspended late in the night, bringing an end to hours of tension and blockade.

Led by the Rashtriya Mazdoor Kisan Mahasangh (RMKM), the agitation drew nearly 5,000 farmers from Dhar, Barwani, Khargone and Khandwa districts. The protesters demanded guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP), loan waivers and action on several long-pending issues. To mark their dissent, farmers used felled trees to block the highway, causing complete traffic disruption from early morning.

With the situation intensifying, Dhar Collector Priyank Mishra, Dhar SP Mayank Awasthi and Khargone SP reached the spot around 8 pm and held discussions with farmer leaders. The administration imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS) across Dhar district and deployed nearly 400 police personnel to prevent any escalation.

After hours of negotiations, the farmers agreed to suspend the protest temporarily and submitted a detailed memorandum to Collector Mishra. Farmer leaders formally read out their long-pending demands, which included guaranteed MSP for all crops, loan waivers, exemption from the Land Pooling Act and fourfold compensation in land acquisition cases.

Collector Mishra assured the gathering that their demands would be forwarded to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that a delegation of farmers would travel to Delhi, accompanied by Union Minister of State Savitri Thakur, to place their concerns before the Union government.

Thousands of farmers had reached the site with tractor-trolleys, overwhelming the administration’s earlier warnings against blocking the national highway. Traffic remained heavily affected through the day, forcing police to divert routes and increase deployment.

RMKM leader Gopal Patidar maintained that the demands were “completely justified” and cautioned that the agitation would resume if the administration failed to act. Though paused for now, the Khalghat protest has highlighted growing discontent among farmers across the region and served as a strong signal to the government that their patience is wearing thin.