Thousands of Farmers, Workers Gather for Kisan-Mazdoor Mahapanchayat in Delhi

New Delhi: Thousands of farmers and workers have gathered in Delhi’s Ramlila Ground, and many more are on the way, for the Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat called by farmers’ collective Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which had spearheaded a year-long protest at Delhi's borders in 2020-21 against three agriculture laws that the government was forced to withdraw.

SKM said the Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat would pass a resolution to "intensify the fight" against the Centre's policies.

The farmers’ organisations from across the country are gathering in Delhi to protest against the Narendra Modi government’s failure to fulfill its assurance of “doubling farmers’ income”, giving legal guarantee for minimum support price (MCP), implementing the Swaminathan Commission’s formula, one-time debt waiver among other things.

According to reports, large groups of farmers are reaching Delhi’s central hub, shouting slogans against the Centre’s “anti-farmer”, “anti-worker” policies. The farmers and workers, who have faced massive barricades and repression to prevent their tractors from entering the Capital city to make their voices heard, have decided to take the rail, bus and foot march route this time round.

While the Delhi Police has set a limit of 5,000 protesters at the site, several participating organisations said they expected over 30,000 farmers to land up, a big chunk from Punjab, who had been stopped on the Haryana-Punjab border since February 13. Farmers from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are also expected in huge numbers, said SKM.

Meanwhile, according to news agency PTI, Congress leader Rahul Gandh, while addressing a farers’ rally in Nashik, Maharashtra, as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, said the Opposition INDIA bloc, if voted to power, would be the "voice of farmers" and frame policies to protect them.

The other demands of the SKM-central trade union (CTU) Kisan Mazdoor Panchayat, are complete loan waiver to small and middle farm households and agricultural workers to ensure their freedom from indebtedness; Radical strengthening and expansion of the Public Distribution System; Comprehensive pro-farmer crop insurance scheme to combat natural calamities; No hike in electricity tariff, no to prepaid metres, 300 units free electricity to all rural households and shops; Minimum wage of Rs 26,000 per month for workers; Repeal of the four Labour Codes; No privatisation of PSUs including Railway, Defence, Electricity, Coal, Oil, Steel, Telecom, Posts, Transport, Airports, Port & Docks; Banks, Insurance, Education and Health, Employment must be made into a Fundamental Right; No Contractualisation of jobs, Scrapping of Fixed Term Employment, Strengthen MGNREGS with 200 days’ work per person per year and Rs 600 as daily wage; Restoration Old Pension Scheme, Pension and social security to all in formal and informal economy; Implementation of the Forest Rights Act, dismissal of Ajay Mishra Teni and registration of murder case against him, among others.

The SKM said it has also pledged to carry forward the struggle against communalism, casteism and authoritarianism to save basic principles of democracy, secularism, federalism, and socialism enshrined in the Constitution of India.