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Big farmers' protest today to mark 5 years of ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, Chandigarh to see major gathering | Key points
Over 10,000 farmers of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) are expected to gather in Chandigarh for the protests.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), along with the trade union movement and the agriculture workers movement, are holding a countrywide worker-farmer demonstration to mark five years of the in 2020 “Delhi Chalo” march. The SKM is an umbrella body of farmer organisations that led the 2020-21 protests.
Over 10,000 farmers of the SKM are expected to gather in Chandigarh, while New Delhi, and other state capitals as well as district centres were also expected to see farmers' demonstrations on Wednesday.
The farmers gathering in Chandigarh have been allowed to converge at the Sector 43 Dussehra Ground for a day-long gathering.
The ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, held to oppose the three farm laws which were later rolled back, had led to a sit-in protest at the Delhi borders for over a year.
“The historic farmers' struggle began on 26 November, 2020 at Delhi borders, actively supported by the united trade union movement, lasted for 380 days, sacrificed the lives of 736 farmers and succeeded in forcing the Government of India to repeal the three pro-corporate farm Acts,” PTI news agency quoted the farmers as saying.
They added that they had been “once again forced to hold mass protest demonstrations”, while also highlighting the “unprecedented number of distress suicides” over the past 11 years.
SKM protests to reiterate demand for legal MSP: Key points
• The SKM has called for rallies, marches and public outreach campaigns across India. Farmers in Punjab will travel to Chandigarh and gather at the Sector 43 Dussehra ground, which will be the focal point of the demonstrations.
• The Chandigarh police announced extensive traffic restrictions and diversions across key stretches, releasing an advisory for Wednesday. Security agencies are expecting heavy tractor-trolley movement from the Mohali side, with signficant footfall expected at the site of the protest in Chandigarh.
• Ahead of the protests on Wednesday, the SKM prepared a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking a law to enforce MSP, based on the Swaminathan Commission formula. The farmers plan to submit the memorandum at the state and district levels after the agitation, PTI news agency reported.
• It also demands loan waivers for farmers and agricultural workers, the withdrawal of the Electricity Bill, 2025, and the repealing of the four labour codes. The memorandum urges the President to “safeguard federal rights”, and the strict implementation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
• The SKM has also demanded increasing MGNREGS work days to 200 and wage to ₹700, restoring fertiliser subsidies, adequate supply of DAP and urea fertilisers and declaration of all floods and landslides as national disasters.
