New Delhi:

Thousands of farmers on Thursday participated in the ‘Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat’ at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan where a resolution was passed to intensify the protest against the Centre’s policies regarding the farming sector and to continue the stir during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

This was perhaps the biggest gathering of farmers in the national capital after their agitation at Delhi’s borders ended in 2021 following the repeal of the three contentious farm laws by the Centre.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer organisations that spearheaded the 2021 protest, adopted the resolution to “intensify the fight against the policies of the Union government to save farming, food security, land and livelihoods of the people”.

It also vowed to continue its stir during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls if its demands are not met, according to the resolution.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters, “We held a meeting here and a message has gone to the government that farmers of our country are united. The government should talk to us to resolve the issue. This agitation is not going to stop anytime soon and it will spread from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.”

Mr Tikait said the government wants to destroy the country by turning the farmers into labourers.

“They have already ended the ‘mandi’ system in Bihar and now they want to do it across the country. This way, they want the farmers to become labourers,” he said.

He also said the government wants to break the unity of farmers by forming different farmers’ unions.

“They want to divide us based on caste, religion, regionalism and language,” he charged.

Krantikari Kisan Union leader Darshan Pal, who also participated in the mahapanchayat, said the demands of the farmers have been neglected for years.

“We have been holding agitations since 2021 and their charters have already been sent to the President and the Prime Minister but nothing has happened so far,” he said.

“Today, we discussed the same issues and again informed the farmers who came here from various parts of the country about our demands. We also passed a resolution to continue our agitation and target the policies of BJP during the election period as well,” he added.

Mr Pal also showed his displeasure over the limited gathering permitted by the Delhi Police at the Ramlila Maidan.

“We were not allowed to come to Delhi. The permission for the ‘mahapanchayat’ was given at the eleventh hour with several restrictions like only 5,000 farmers could come. The farmers were not allowed to go to gurdwaras and they were also stopped at railway stations,” he claimed.

The farmers also raised slogans against the Union government at the protest venue. Several women farmers also joined the protest.

There were yellow, red, blue and white coloured flags that were carried by different farmers signifying their affiliation to different farm unions.

Farmers from states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal had come for the mahapanchayat.

Harman Singh, a farmer from Punjab’s Patiala, said he arrived in the capital on Wednesday night.

“We want the Centre’s policies to be pro-farmers. We also want our demand for an MSP (minimum support price) on crops to be fulfilled,” he said.

Ravinder Singh, a farmer from Punjab’s Bathinda, said action should be taken against the accused in the violence that erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri in October 2021.

“We want action against the person who drove his car over farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. The family members of the victim should get compensation and a government job,” he said.

Layak Singh, who was carrying a small plough on his shoulder, said he came to Delhi from Himachal Pradesh and was upset with the policies of the Centre.

“My family completely depends on farming and if the situation of the farmers remains the same, we will have to opt for some other work,” Singh said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Protesting farmers will start marching towards Delhi to press their various demands to the central government today. The announcement has prompted the police to increase security at the Punjab and Haryana borders.

The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), the two umbrella bodies that are leading the farmers’ protests, on March 3 gave a call to farmers from across the country to reach the national capital today.

They also called for a four-hour countrywide “rail roko” next week in support of their various demands, which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the crops.

The protesting farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana after their “Delhi Chalo” march was stopped by security personnel on February 13.

While the farmers from Punjab and Haryana will continue the agitation at Shambhu and Khanauri border points, the farmers and farm labourers from other states have been asked to reach Delhi today.

Farmers’ ‘Rail Roko’ Protest

To intensify the agitation, farmer leaders have also called upon the farmers and labourers across the country for the ‘rail roko’ protest on March 10.

They have announced a countrywide ‘rail roko’ protest from 12 pm to 4 pm.

Farmers’ body Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which spearheaded the 2020-21 agitation, has also announced a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in Delhi on March 14.

The SKM said that over 400 farmers’ outfits will participate in the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ to press the Centre to accept their demands.

Delhi Police Step Up Vigil

The Delhi Police has directed its personnel to ensure strict vigil at the Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders in view of the farmers’ protest.

Additional police and paramilitary forces have also been deployed at railway and metro stations and bus stands.

The police said checking will be intensified at various locations and that there may be traffic congestion in the capital.