On the morning of March 14, visual of farmers in large numbers in the “Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat”, being held at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, surfaced on social media. Almost 37 farmer unions under the umbrella of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) have gathered in Delhi to press the union government to accept the demands of the farmers. It is essential to note that the demands being put forth by the protesting farmers include a law on the minimum support price (MSP) for 23 crops to enable the farmers to lead a dignified life, loan waiver, and other policy measures on insurance etc.
Most significantly they have demanded the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations for MSP, pensions for farmers and agricultural workers. Along with this, they also seek justice for the death of the 22-year-old farmer Shubhkaran Singh, who was killed during clashes with the state police.
Why are farmers converging at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan tomorrow? #KisanMazdoorMahapanchayat pic.twitter.com/utMsncXoGX
— AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 13, 2024
On-ground visuals from the protest site can be viewed here:
A large group of women can be seen within the group, hailing farmers unity and raising slogans against the Modi government.
#WATCH | Farmers gather at #Delhi‘s Ramlila Maidan to hold ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ to press for their demands including MSP law
Track LIVE updates on #KisanMahapanchayat https://t.co/xDYSTM6Air
📹 ANI pic.twitter.com/mnq3lJtD7u
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) March 14, 2024
Multiple farmer unions came together for this Mahapanchayat
VIDEO | Kisan Mahapanchayat: Members of various farmer unions gather at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.#FarmersProtest #KisanMahapanchayat
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/WuDwRg2X6B
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 14, 2024
AIKS (All India Kisan Sabha) also took to ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) to share pictures from the protest site.
#KisanMazdoorMahapanchayat in Full Swing at Ramlila Maidans! pic.twitter.com/JGiXiXKJBb
— AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 14, 2024
#SKM Leadership at #KisanMazdoorMahapanchayat at Ramlila Maidan pic.twitter.com/6rDq9UVd8I
— AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 14, 2024
General Secretary Comrade Dr @VijooKrishnan addresses Kisan Mazdoor Panchayat at Ramlila Grounds ✊🏾✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/68ce0K8sj0
— AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 14, 2024
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) farmer leader Rakesh Tikait also participated in the Mahapanchayat and addressed the media.
Speaking to PTI, Tikait said the unified protest of farmers today has showed the government that the farmers of the country are stand together and their protest is not going to end unless the government brings a solution through mediation. “A meeting was held here and the government got a message that the farmers of the country are united. The government should resolve the issue through talks, this agitation is not going to end.”
He further said “From Kashmir, Ladakh to Kanyakumari, we will hold protests across the length and breadth of India. They want to ruin the whole country the way they have ruined the mandis of Bihar. By ruining the mandi system in Bihar they converted the farmers in Bihar to labour. They want to turn all of us into labourers and snatch away our lands. We will not give up our lands, we will protest against each of them.”
He accused the union government of oppressing and dividing the farmers by stating “They want to break us up. They want to create separate farmer unions. This is the policy of the union government. They want us to break into divisions based on caste, religions, regions and language”
VIDEO | Kisan Mahapanchayat: “A meeting was held here and the government got a message that the farmers of the country are united. The government should resolve the issue through talks, this agitation is not going to end,” says Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait… pic.twitter.com/fStOxUBk0m
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 14, 2024
Significant Police “bandobast” could also be seen
Protesting #Farmers assembled in India’s capital Delhi on Thursday morning for a gathering called the ‘Kisan-Mazdoor Mahapanchayat’ organised by the umbrella body of farmers’ groups in India. #FarmersProtest2024 #KisanMahapanchayat pic.twitter.com/3L36knPTcp
— BBC News India (@BBCIndia) March 14, 2024
The permission to organise the gathering was granted by the Delhi Police and municipal corporation on March 11 on condition that the protesting farmers limit participation in the Mahapanchayat to 5,000 persons, that there would be no tractor trolleys and no march at the maidan. However, the Delhi Police had still anticipated more than 15,000 farmers to arrive.
SKM has indicated that more than 30,000 farmers from Punjab were anticipated to arrive for the protest. The SKM had stated that will establish a “Sankalp Patra” or “letter of resolution” at the Mahapanchayat in an effort to bolster their opposition to the “pro-corporate, communal, dictatorial policies of the Modi government, to fight to save farming, food security, livelihood, and the people from corporate loot”.
Meanwhile, as this protest in the capital reached its culmination, thousands of farmers continue to protest on Punjab-Haryana borders as part of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest, where they have been camping since February 13.
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