BHOPAL: A three-day farmers’ agitation in Bhopal over the procurement of moong at Minimum Support Price (MSP) ended after the Madhya Pradesh government agreed to procure up to 60 per cent of the crop in key producing districts. The agreement came after hours of negotiations on Wednesday and a tense day on the streets of the state capital, where protesting farmers broke through multiple layers of police barricades and marched towards the Chief Minister’s residence. Farmers had been demanding 100 per cent procurement of moong at MSP and changes in the fertiliser distribution system. The agitation intensified near Veer Savarkar Setu, where farmers had been camping. Protesters performed a havan seeking “good sense” for the government, while some farmers staged a semi-nude demonstration to press their demands. There were intermittent confrontations with police through the day, but the situation became particularly tense around 4 pm when protesters decided to move towards the Chief Minister’s residence. Police had positioned buses, dumpers and several layers of barricades to stop the march. Farmers climbed on buses and dismantled barricades, eventually crossing four layers of security despite repeated appeals from police to maintain peace.

One of the dramatic moments came when Additional Commissioner Monica Shukla stood in front of a police bus as protesters attempted to move the vehicle out of their way. She used herself as a shield to prevent the bus from being pushed forward. The farmers eventually left the vehicle and continued their march on foot. After crossing Veer Savarkar Setu, the protesters reached Board Office Square and later moved towards Roshanpura Square. Heavy rain was falling by then, and the group stopped there while waiting for more farmers to join the protest. Security was simultaneously strengthened at Banganga Square, around 500 metres from the Chief Minister’s residence, where additional barricades, dumpers and police personnel were deployed. While the protest continued outside, farmer representatives and government officials were holding negotiations at the Secretariat. A significant development during the talks was a letter from Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. According to the report, the Centre had approved procurement of moong under the PM-AASHA scheme, while the Madhya Pradesh government could purchase quantities beyond the prescribed limit using its own funds.

After nearly three hours of discussions, the state government agreed to procure up to 60 per cent of the moong crop in districts including Narmadapuram, Sehore and Harda. Procurement will be capped at around three quintals per acre. Farmers will be allowed to book slots until August 10, while the procurement process will continue until August 20. Another important decision concerned fertiliser distribution, with the government agreeing to suspend the e-token system. The announcements finally broke the deadlock and farmer representatives decided to call off the agitation. The administration cleared the demonstration site late at night after the agreement was reached. The protest had put considerable pressure on the government as farmers continued their agitation despite heavy police deployment and rain in Bhopal. The decision on moong procurement in Madhya Pradesh now gives farmers a higher procurement limit, although their original demand had been for the entire crop to be purchased at MSP. With slot booking and procurement deadlines now fixed, attention will shift to implementation in the affected districts and how quickly farmers are able to sell their produce under the revised arrangement.

More than 2,000 farmers from 19 organisations, marching under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha as part of what they're calling the "Kisan Kranti Padyatra," began their journey from Narmadapuram, crossing through Sehore district before pushing into Bhopal. Along the way, protesters broke through multiple police barricades — at Simrai on the Mandideep border, and again near Raj Heights School and Bansal College — continuing their march despite repeated attempts by police to halt them.

By Tuesday, the situation had turned tense enough that police deployed water cannons and Vajra anti-riot vehicles near Obaidullaganj and Hoshangabad Road to prevent the marchers from reaching the CM's residence, with scuffles breaking out between protesters and security personnel. Additional barricades were erected at Kilol Park, Smart City Park and Polytechnic Square, and buses were stationed across key roads to block the march's path. Senior police and administrative officials remained on site throughout to monitor the situation.

The march has significantly disrupted traffic in and around Bhopal — the Obaidullaganj-Bhopal highway was closed, and the Sultanpur route from Jabalpur also saw restrictions, leaving commuters facing lengthy delays. Farmer organisations separately alleged that some of their office-bearers were taken from their homes by police to unknown locations before the march began, and that they had been unable to make contact with them since.

As of Wednesday morning, protesters remained in a sit-in near the CSIR-AMPRI Institute after being stopped short of the CM's residence, with talks between the district administration and farmer representatives yet to produce a breakthrough. Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana met a farmer delegation and assured them of positive action on their demands, though protest leaders say they've come prepared with food and water for a week-long stay and won't leave until their core demands are met.

Beyond 100% moong procurement at MSP, farmers are also demanding the scrapping of the e-token system used for fertiliser distribution, in favour of a system based on land records, along with resolution of other pending agriculture-related grievances. Krantikari Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan youth wing state president Arun Patel said the group had been stopped at roughly 15 different points since starting their march, but remained confident of reaching the Chief Minister's residence eventually.

With no resolution reached by Wednesday and farmers signalling they're prepared for a prolonged standoff, the situation around Bhopal's CM House is likely to remain tense in the coming days.