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Ramlila Maidan in Delhi: Farmers call for stir across country

Mar 15, 2024 04:17 AM IST

However, traffic was largely unaffected by either the rally or a slew of traffic restrictions that were put in place to regulate farmers’ movements

Hundreds of protest farmers from Punjab and Haryana descended on Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi on Thursday and called for a nationwide agitation against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government on March 23 to press home a raft of demands, including for a low on minimum support prices (MSP) for crops and debt waivers.

Farmers from Punjab and Haryana gathered at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday to press home a raft of demands from the Centre, including for a law on minimum support prices (MSP) for crops and debt waivers. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHoto)
Farmers from Punjab and Haryana gathered at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday to press home a raft of demands from the Centre, including for a law on minimum support prices (MSP) for crops and debt waivers. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHoto)

However, traffic was largely unaffected by either the rally or a slew of traffic restrictions that were put in place to regulate farmers’ movements, with business as usual in most parts of the city, said police officers.

Protesting farmers also adopted a resolution to “intensify their fight” against the Union government’s “corporate, communal, dictatorial policies” and to “to save farming, food security, land and livelihood of the people from corporate loot”.

The resolution was authored by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM).

Farmers protest in Delhi: Kisan Mahapanchayat at Ramila Maidan today, traffic jams likely | 10 points

Ramlila Maidan was packed with farmer leaders who spearheaded the cultivators’ protests on the fringes of Delhi in 2020-21, but who have stayed away from ground mobilisations and agitations during the ongoing stir.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, addressing the gathering, alleged that several farmers were not allowed to enter the Capital

“The government will try to provoke you and try to scare you away. On one hand, they say that they have given permission to hold the protest, but since last night, they have stopped many people from coming to the national capital,” he said.

To be sure, the agitation, which started on February 12, has been organised by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. Thousands of farmers have been camped at the Punjab-Haryana borders for over two weeks now. Agitators initially tried to march towards Delhi, but were met with banks of barricades and police forces at the Punjab-Haryana border.

Read Here | Rahul Gandhi announces Congress' 5 big poll promises to farmers: MSP, agriculture loan waiver…

Tikait stressed that the protest will continue.

“The government will try to discredit the farmers by dividing us on the basis of religions but we need to stand together. A six-member committee has been formed to make sure that whenever there is a big protest, we should all come out together to back it,” he said.

Tikait was referring to a panel that had been formed to forge unity between a range of farmers unions who have so far not been on the same page about the mechanics of the agitation.

Farmer leader Darshan Pal, who was also one of the key faces during the 2020-21 protests, said, “We will observe March 23 as ‘save democracy’ day. Every village, town and city will participate. We will not stay quiet in the elections.They don’t allow us to enter the city. We’ll not allow them to enter our villages,” he said.

Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said MSP for crops wouldn’t make them rich, but only help them survive.

Read Here: Traffic snarls in central Delhi due to farmers' 'mahapanchayat'

“People from Haryana and Punjab are selling their land and moving abroad. We have no other option but to fight. If they don’t agree to our demands, the responsibility of the next agitation will lie with the government,” he said.

Meanwhile, the police set up diversions or regulated traffic in the vicinity of Ramlila Maidan, but traffic was largely unaffected.

Some areas of central Delhi, including the Kamla Market roundabout, Minto Road, and Asif Ali Road witnessed some snarls in the afternoon, but by and large, traffic police personnel deployed at key points ensured that traffic kept moving.

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