india

Updated: Nov 24, 2018 07:31 IST

Thousands of farmers from across the country are expected to assemble at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday next week (November 29) and march to Parliament street the next day to demand a special three-week joint session of Parliament to discuss the agrarian crisis.

Organised under the banner of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella body of about 200 farmer organisations from across the country, the two-day ‘Kisan Mukti March’ is being billed as a reminiscent of a similar protest march from Nashik to Mumbai by over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra in March this year.

“Farmers from across the country, except the poll-bound states and some states in northeast, are eexpected to join the march,” said Vijoo Krishnan, joint secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha, one of the AIKSCC-affiliated bodies.

The organisers said that the farmers will start entering the National Capital after 5pm on November 29 from corners like Anand Vihar, Nizamuddin, Brijwasan, Majnu Ka Tila and Kishangarh, to march towards Ramlila Maidan. The evening will see dinner for the farmers and a cultural programme at Ramlila Maidan followed by a march next morning on November 30 towards Parliament street for a rally.

“First half of the day, November 30, will be a rally in which we are expecting over one lakh people. For the second half, we have invited representatives from all political parties who support our demands,” said Yogendra Yadav, national president of political Swaraj Abhiyan and one of the working group members of AIKSCC.

The march is expected to be second major farmer’s protest in the national capital in two months. On October 2, atleast 20 people — including police personnel — were injured in a clash between protesters and security personnel at the Delhi-UP gate border on NH-24 when the Delhi Police denied entry to ?? farmers from entering the capital.

A Delhi Police official said they had received an application. “We are reviewing it and will discuss it and prepare accordingly,” said the official.

The main demand, Yogendra Yadav said, is to pass two farmer bills — seeking ‘freedom from indebtedness’ and the ‘right to guaranteed remunerative minimum support price (MSP)’ introduced in Lok Sabha in August this year.

“Already 21 political parties have extended their support to the bills. We want a special 21-day session to clear them. This is probably the last chance to pass them in this Lok Sabha,” Yadav said.

Also, a solidarity group — Nation for Farmers — has been mobilising people in Delhi, particularly students, to join the march through a volunteer-run website DilliChalo.in and other social media platforms.

“We have had veteran journalist P Sainath, addressing students in four public-funded universities. We expect at least 4,000-5,000 students to be part of the rally,” said Janhavi Mittal, a volunteer with Nation for Farmers.