BATHINDA/PATIALA/JIND: The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Wednesday night sent busloads and trainloads of farmers to Delhi from Punjab for Thursday’s kisan mahapanchayat despite the allowed rally size of only 5,000. The farmers from Haryana‘s Bangar area will get there on foot.
At Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, they will adopt a resolution to oppose the central government‘s alleged “pro-corporate policies that threaten country’s food security and farmers’ livelihood”. Seen in the context of the coming general elections, the mahapanchayat will hold the central govt accountable for its alleged “surrender” in signing a conditional deal with the European Free Trade Association (Efta).
The morcha claims that the annual investment of Rs 42,000 crore this agreement promises to fetch was a mere 1% of the country’s yearly budget in the sensitive sectors of fisheries, diary, horticulture, agriculture, and food processing sector. They also claimed that the deal will destroy domestic market and weaken country’s small producers in sensitive areas that provide crores of farmers and working families with livelihood.
Alleging that earlier free-trade agreements such as Asean had devastated the cash-crop farmers of rubber, pepper, coconut, the SKM claimed that the govt had yet again failed to bargain for food storage rights and protect food security. The SKM said BKU Charuni had agreed to join the mahapanchayat because a six-member coordination committee had worked hard for reunification. Representatives of a joint platform of the central trade unions will also participate in the rally. The demands include debt waiver along with legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for all crops based on the C2+50% formula.
In Patiala, 300-odd farmers from the Krantikari Kisan Union, Kirti Kisan Union, Kul Hind Kisan Sabha, and BKU Ekta Dakaunda, Lakhowal, and Rajewal factions boarded the Dadar Express to Delhi, while the others started from Dhuri near Nabha. Farmer unionist Avtar Singh Kaurjiwala claimed that more than 30,000 Punjabi farmers were on way to Delhi with camping equipment. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) sent 80 busloads from Sangrur. Its general secretary, Sukhdev Singh Kokari Kalan, said: “Our convoys have left 17 districts, with women, rations, water, and bedding. There are reception teams in Delhi.” The SKM has invited the trade, women’s, and student unions to join it.
The Haryana farmers from Jind’s Uchana Kalan began their foot march at 10.30am on Wednesday, made several halts on the roadsides to gather more support, and reached the Jind railway station to complete rest of the journey by train. Jind farmer unionist Azad Palwa, who led this march, said: “Going by foot sends a message to the govt that we’ll reach Delhi by any means. We need more farmers to join us while a chance to build pressure on the govt is alive before the elections.”
At Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, they will adopt a resolution to oppose the central government‘s alleged “pro-corporate policies that threaten country’s food security and farmers’ livelihood”. Seen in the context of the coming general elections, the mahapanchayat will hold the central govt accountable for its alleged “surrender” in signing a conditional deal with the European Free Trade Association (Efta).
The morcha claims that the annual investment of Rs 42,000 crore this agreement promises to fetch was a mere 1% of the country’s yearly budget in the sensitive sectors of fisheries, diary, horticulture, agriculture, and food processing sector. They also claimed that the deal will destroy domestic market and weaken country’s small producers in sensitive areas that provide crores of farmers and working families with livelihood.
Alleging that earlier free-trade agreements such as Asean had devastated the cash-crop farmers of rubber, pepper, coconut, the SKM claimed that the govt had yet again failed to bargain for food storage rights and protect food security. The SKM said BKU Charuni had agreed to join the mahapanchayat because a six-member coordination committee had worked hard for reunification. Representatives of a joint platform of the central trade unions will also participate in the rally. The demands include debt waiver along with legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for all crops based on the C2+50% formula.
In Patiala, 300-odd farmers from the Krantikari Kisan Union, Kirti Kisan Union, Kul Hind Kisan Sabha, and BKU Ekta Dakaunda, Lakhowal, and Rajewal factions boarded the Dadar Express to Delhi, while the others started from Dhuri near Nabha. Farmer unionist Avtar Singh Kaurjiwala claimed that more than 30,000 Punjabi farmers were on way to Delhi with camping equipment. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) sent 80 busloads from Sangrur. Its general secretary, Sukhdev Singh Kokari Kalan, said: “Our convoys have left 17 districts, with women, rations, water, and bedding. There are reception teams in Delhi.” The SKM has invited the trade, women’s, and student unions to join it.
The Haryana farmers from Jind’s Uchana Kalan began their foot march at 10.30am on Wednesday, made several halts on the roadsides to gather more support, and reached the Jind railway station to complete rest of the journey by train. Jind farmer unionist Azad Palwa, who led this march, said: “Going by foot sends a message to the govt that we’ll reach Delhi by any means. We need more farmers to join us while a chance to build pressure on the govt is alive before the elections.”