Delhi Chalo: Farmers Will Hold Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat Today (image:twitter.com/KisanSabha)
The farmers will hold a “Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat” at Delhi”s Ramlila Maidan today. Since the gathering will affect traffic in the national capital, Delhi Police has issued advisory. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers” groups, will organise the Mahapanchayat.
The police has allowed the gathering on the context that it will have no more than 5,000 attendees, no tractor trolleys and no march will be held at the venue. There is heavy stationing of paramilitary team at three Delhi borders, Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, in order to stop the ongoing protest of the farmers demanding to march to Delhi.
The Mahapanchayat is planned to be held from 11 am to 2 pm. With the Mahapanchayat, the SKM aims to “intensify the fight against government”s policies”, and focus on their demands. The farmers” body also claims that they are aiming to pass a resolution called “Sankalp Patra,” detailing strategies against pro-corporate policies and announcing future course of actions, especially with regard to upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The SKM headed the farmers protest in 2020-21 and it was conducted against the central government”s three agriculture laws.
The farmers protest titled ‘Delhi Chalo’ started on February 13, but hundreds of farmers have been camping at Punjab and Haryana border points after their their march was halted by security forces. The protesting farmers have been camping at various points in areas bordering Delhi along with their tractors, mini-vans, pickup trucks, and trollies filled with ration.
The demands of protesting farmers includes a legal guarantee of MSP for all 23 crops, implementation of Swaminathan Commission report for fair remuneration, pension for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Accusation Act, 2013 and compensation for the families of the farmers who died during the 2020-21 protest.
