Farmers from across North India are set to converge in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district for a significant show of strength against a proposed ethanol plant. A large-scale kisan maha panchayat is scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, 2025, outside the Deputy Commissioner's office, with participation from prominent farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala.
National Leaders Rally Behind Local Agitation
The protest has garnered support from major farmer unions. A 12-member national executive committee of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will attend the gathering. Key figures include Joginder Singh Ugrahan (BKU Ekta Ugrahan, Punjab), Prem Singh Gehlawat (All India Kisan Morcha, Haryana), Rakesh Tikait (BKU, Uttar Pradesh), and P Krishnaprasad (All India Kisan Sabha, Kerala).
Jagmohan Singh Patiala, state general secretary of BKU Dakaunda, clarified that while there would be no mass mobilization from other states, the SKM's national leadership is extending full solidarity. "The SKM fully supports the demands of farmers in Hanumangarh," he stated.
Internet Suspended Amid Rising Tensions
Anticipating the large gathering, the Rajasthan government has suspended internet services in Hanumangarh. Despite this, leaders from the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) in Haryana confirmed their participation. Tejveer Singh of BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) said, "We will either travel by road or by train." He noted that the Gramin Kisan Mazdoor Samiti (GKS), Rajasthan, a KMM constituent, is spearheading the local agitation.
The protest follows earlier tensions. On December 10, farmers from Punjab visited Tibbi village, the proposed plant site, where clashes with police were reported. Separately, Punjab-based influencer Bhana Sidhu was detained on December 9 ahead of a planned visit to the area.
Project Details and Farmer Concerns
The proposed plant is being set up by Dune Ethanol Private Limited, a Chandigarh-based company. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rajasthan government was signed in 2022. The company obtained a No-Objection Certificate from nearby Rathikhera village the same year.
However, farmers from Tibbi village, located just 1.5 km from the project site, strongly oppose it. Santveer Singh Chahal of the Gramin Kisan Mazdoor Sangrash Samiti, Rajasthan, revealed that farmers discovered the project details through an RTI application in March 2024 and began protesting immediately.
"The information we received shows that the factory is coming up on nearly 65 acres of land and will consume thousands of litres of groundwater every day. We will not allow this to happen," Chahal asserted. He added that the land was purchased from eight to ten farmers between 2022 and 2023.
The agitation, which included a prolonged sit-in at the factory site, was forcibly lifted last month when boundary wall construction began. It has since regained momentum after the release of detained leaders. The protest now enjoys backing from the SKM, All India Kisan Sabha, BKU Sidhupur, and several other unions, uniting farmers in a pan-Indian stand against the project they fear will critically deplete local water resources.
