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First fulfil our demands, then talk about Ayodhya: Farmers

Christened Kisan Mukti March has been organised by the CPM-led All India Kisan Sabha with the support of 207 farmers organisations, comprising the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC).

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Farmers take part in a march in New Delhi on Thursday, as they call for pro-farmer legislation in the Parliament
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The Modi government is bracing to see one of the largest congregation of farmers in recent times as farmers from across the country started pouring in the Capital on Thursday to mark their protest against the “anti-farmer” policies of the government.

The congregation, happening barely 10 days ahead of the Parliament’s Winter Session, is expected to resonate in the Parliament as the opposition parties are also lending their support to the demands of farmers. They are demanding debt waiver and assured procurement of their produce as per the formula given by the Swaminathan Committee report.

Christened Kisan Mukti March has been organised by the CPM-led All India Kisan Sabha with the support of 207 farmers organisations, comprising the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC). Besides farmers, the congregation also includes agricultural labourers.

“The farmers’ march will start from Ram Lila grounds on Friday morning and converge at the Parliament Street where leaders of different political parties, barring the BJP, will address the gathering,” said CPM leader Hannan Mollah, who is also convenor of the AIKSCC. 

He said the farmers would press the government to take up two private members bills on agrarian crisis issue on urgent basis during the winter session. By pushing farmers’ issues, the Opposition is looking at defeating BJP’s ploy to bring legislation on Ram Mandir during the session for electoral gains in 2019 elections. This was evident from their slogan, “Ayodhya nahi, karz maafi chahiye (We do not want Ayodhya, but a debt waiver).”  

While Jignesh Mevani, independent MLA supported by Congress from Gujarat, is participating in the march, the Congress is yet to take a call on its participation. Party sources said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi, along with senior leaders, may address the rally.

Head of the Swaraj Abhiyan party, Yogendra Yadav, on behalf of participating Jai Kisan Andolan said, “For the first time in the history of farmers’ movement in the country, over two hundred farmers bodies have assembled under one platform. This is an opportunity for us to expose the lies BJP government is pedaling and compel it to listen to the woes of farmers and hold a special session for farmers.”  

Various professional and student bodies have come out to lend support to farmers’ cause. As a goodwill gesture, farmers too were seen distributing pamphlets apologising for the inconvenience Delhiites may have to face because of their march. In the pamphlet, they also appealed Delhiites to support their cause.

Farmers’ organisations said that PM Modi government’s claim of giving them one-and-a-half time of MSP is totally false. They said that neither has the government waived their loans as promised and nor have they lifted their produce on the government-decided MSP. 

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