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United they stand: ‘Kisan-Mazdoor Mahapanchayat’ at Ramlila Maidan sees a wave of farmers from across India, protesting

Farmer protestors in their thousands, from 37 Unions under the umbrella of the Samyukta Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (SKM) gathered at the protest site in the capital, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait says that the protest will not end till the government finds a solution to their demands

Image: The Hindu

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.

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.

Multiple farmer unions came together for this Mahapanchayat

AIKS (All India Kisan Sabha) also took to ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) to share pictures from the protest site.

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”

Significant Police “bandobast” could also be seen

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.

 

Related:

Déjà vu, a film that depicts the chilling effects of corporate-contract farming, resonates with Indian farmer’s protests

Farmers march to be intensified from March 6, various means of transport to be opted by farmers to reach Delhi, ‘Rail Roko’ agitation to continue from March 10

SKM calls for massive Mahapanchayat at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on March 14, denounces BJP Regime’s repression on farmers, and MP ticket to Ajay Mishra Teni

Four-hour long ‘Rail roko’ protest held by farmers on tracks across Punjab, participation from farmer unions associated with SKM

 

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