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Difference between the farmer protests of Multai, Mandsaur, and Narmadapuram
On January 12, 1998, during the Digvijaya Singh government, firing was opened on farmers in Multai. 19 farmers died on the spot, and later five injured farmers also passed away, bringing the total death toll to 24. This is known as the Multai firing incident. Here, at the call of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, farmers devastated by heavy rains and hailstorms were demanding compensatory relief. This means they had already suffered losses and were merely asking for their input costs back; they were seeking government help during a natural disaster.
In June 2017, due to a bumper production of onions, farmers were not even getting their input costs in the market. Farmers were asking the government for compensation—meaning they were only asking for the loss they had incurred. The movement in Mandsaur started on June 1 and firing took place on June 6, in which five farmers died on the spot and one died during treatment. Remember, here too, the farmers were only demanding that the government compensate for the loss; even if there was no profit, at least the cost should be recovered.
In July 2026, there was a bumper production of Moong dal in the Narmadapuram belt of Madhya Pradesh
. This time, the farmers faced no loss
. Prices in the open market were low, while the government support price (MSP) was higher
. The government was buying 25% of the Moong from every farmer at the MSP, but the farmers wanted 100% of their Moong dal to be purchased by the government at the government rate
. This time, the Moong dal farmers did not face any natural disaster, nor was there a situation where they couldn't even recover their costs
. This time, the fight was for profit
. The profit from selling in the open market was very low, whereas, at the government rate, the profit was doubling.
Another major difference among these three movements is that the farmers of Multai and Mandsaur were extremely poor, with a very high number of small farmers. In contrast, the farmers of Narmadapuram are the wealthiest farmers in Madhya Pradesh. Some could even be called landlords, possessing hundreds of acres of land, magnificent bungalows, and luxury cars. This implies that the farmers of Multai and Mandsaur were not in a position to bear any financial loss.
Similarities in the farmer protests of Multai, Mandsaur, and Narmadapuram
According to government reports, the protesting farmers in Multai first started stone-pelting and then attacked vehicles, even setting some on fire. In response, the police used lathi charge, tear gas, and later opened fire. In the judicial inquiry, the then farmer leaders could not prove the police firing to be against the rules, while the police proved it was done in self-defense.
In Mandsaur, just like Multai, farmers first pelted stones and then vandalized vehicles. In response, the police resorted to lathi charge, tear gas, and eventually firing. This matter even reached Parliament. The public and the opposition were all with the farmers, but before the judicial inquiry commission, the farmer leaders could not prove the police firing was against regulations.
The farmers of Narmadapuram broke not just one or two, but 22 barricades set up by the police. 40% of the traffic in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, was blocked. Even emergency medical services were disrupted. Religious events for Guru Purnima could not be held. Protesters reached sensitive areas like New Market and were only 500 meters away from the CM House. A serious law and order situation had arisen, and there was an open violation of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. All of this was sufficient grounds for a lathi charge and the firing of tear gas.
The Wisdom of CM Dr. Mohan Yadav
If you look back at the history of Madhya Pradesh, from the Digvijaya Singh government in 1998 to the Shivraj Singh government in 2017, whenever such farmer protests occurred and protesters violated police instructions, lathi charges have followed. In 2012, firing took place in Bareli, Raisen, and a curfew was also imposed; however, nothing of the sort happened in 2026. Apart from minor jostling, the police did not use even mild force. The main reason for this was that Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav had given clear instructions to control the farmers but not to use force. Even when the situation became grave on July 29, the Chief Minister did not just issue instructions or appeals, but made a humble request (nivedan) to the farmers. The opposition was fully expecting another major incident like Multai and Mandsaur, but due to Mohan Yadav's wisdom, everything concluded peacefully.
Although the 12 farmer organizations may consider this a success of their movement, in the books of politics, this entire sequence of events will be recorded as the success of Dr. Mohan Yadav's strategy and wisdom.
