Farmers hailing from various states surrounding the national capital are gearing up for the commencement of their ‘Chalo Delhi’ march scheduled for Tuesday, February 13, as they present their set of demands for the central government’s consideration. Leaders representing farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh engaged in a constructive dialogue with Union ministers during a five-hour meeting on Monday evening. This marked the government’s concerted effort to address the impending protest, anticipated to impact traffic flow in Delhi NCR on Tuesday.
During the second round of discussions on Monday, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda and Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal expressed that significant consensus had been achieved on most issues concerning the farmers. However, despite this progress, the farmers affirmed their decision to proceed with the march on Tuesday, leading to the closure of numerous state borders around Delhi.
In a joint announcement, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha disclosed that farmers will converge on Delhi to advocate for their demands, including the implementation of a law ensuring a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
The primary catalyst for the farmers’ protest revolves around securing a legal guarantee for MSP. Additionally, their demands encompass the enactment of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, as well as the waiver of farm debts.
Key highlights of the upcoming ‘Chalo Delhi’ march include:
1. Farmers from Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh are mobilizing for a massive protest in the national capital, urging the government to legislate a concrete MSP guarantee. The announcement of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march last week underscores their determination to press for the acceptance of their demands.
2. The farmers have articulated a comprehensive set of conditions, including a legal guarantee of MSP, provision of pensions for farmers and farm laborers, debt relief for farmers, and seeking justice for the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
3. Security measures at the Singh, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders in Delhi have been heightened, with the installation of cement barricades, metal nails, and barriers aimed at controlling vehicular movement and averting disturbances in the national capital.
4. The Delhi police, taking proactive measures, imposed section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code at the Uttar Pradesh borders on Sunday to prevent untoward incidents in anticipation of the farmers’ protests on Tuesday.
5. In anticipation of the demonstration, over 50,000 security personnel have been deployed at Delhi’s borders. Furthermore, to maintain public safety, internet and bulk SMS services have been temporarily suspended in seven districts—Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa—on February 13.
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