Around one lakh farmers affiliated to over 200 farmer-organisations are expected to participate in a two-day kisan mukti march from Thursday demanding a special session in Parliament to discuss their plight.
“If the government can call a special midnight session for passing the Goods and Services Tax, why can’t they convene a session to discuss the problems faced by crores of farmers in the country,” asked All India Kisan Sangarsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) convenor V M Singh.
AIKSCC is an umbrella body of farmer organisations set up last year to take up issues faced by farmers.Currently there are 208 farmer groups under it. AIKSCC which held a farmers’ parliament in the capital in November last year wants the Parliament to pass two bills on waiving of farmer loans and, the other ensuring remunerative prices for crops.
“There are now talks of bringing an ordinance or making law to build Ram temple at Ayodhya. We instead demand that the BJP and other political parties discuss, debate and pass these two bills, said Ashok Dhawale of All India Kisan Sabha, affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
In the first three years of this government, there was a 42 per cent increase in farmer suicides in the country. Subsequently, the Government stopped publishing the data on farmer suicides, Dhawale said.
On Thursday, farmers coming from different States to participate in kisan mukti will assemble in four points in the city – Anand Vihar, Bijwasan, Majnu ka Tila and Nizamuddin – and proceed towards Ramlila Maidan where farmers are expected to stay overnight. On Friday morning, the farmers march from Ramlila Maidan to Parliament Street where farmer leaders from different farmer organisations and leaders of political parties supporting the bills will address the farmers.