Farmers hold protest march in Delhi, demand loan waiver

The winter session of Parliament may have been delayed, but on Monday morning, thousands of farmers from across the country trooped onto Parliament Street to participate in what was dubbed as the ‘Kisan Mukti Sansad’. There was legislative business to be carried out, speakers announced, to address PM Narendra Modi’s unfulfilled promise of 50% profit margin over input costs and a loan waiver for the crippling debt farmers are facing due to unfavourable market prices and misplaced policies.

For the Kisan Sansad, farmers affiliated to 184 organizations in 25 states of the country came together under the umbrella of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) after finishing a 10,000-km yatra.

Past noon, the stage was set for a ‘Parliament’ session of women-only members. Speaker Medha Patkar convened the assembly. Pooja More, 24, one of the youngest Panchayat members from Morgaon, Beed was the first to take the mike. “Thousands of farmers have committed suicides and 50,000 are in Maharashtra alone. Vidarbha and Marathwada have become graveyards for farmers. Those making tall claims in long speeches are fooling the farmers,” More thundered. Over 50 widows from Marathwada region were also present.   

By evening, the Sansad tabled two draft Bills related to issues of remunerative pricing and loan waivers. These Bills would be sent to the Centre and all political parties, urging them to take it up on the floor of the Parliament. “Modiji, who had assured farmers they would get 50% profit over the input costs, has deceived them. Now he says they will double the income, but how will this happen? Incomes have not doubled but the debt has,” Shetti told DNA.